Secrets Never Told
by NinjaGal183
Summary: A new ninja hits the streets of New York! Normal by day. Ninja by night. When she first meets the turtles, things don't exactly go the way the four reptiles planned or even expected! Who is she? Why is she here? More importantly, can they befriend her even if she goes by one rule? Never trust anyone...
1. The New Ninja

**My first TMNT fan fiction with the 2003 version of the turtles! Been a fan since the first season! WARNING! A lot of parts might be very DARK and may contain a little bit of language in the following chapters (You've been warned). I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TMNT, only the other characters. Anyway, please read and review and if you like it, I'll write more! (This first one might be a little boring though). Enjoy!**

**P.S: The turtles don't even know the Shredder exists yet or Hun. So far they've only fought the Mousers and battled with the Purple Dragons once.**

I ran as fast as I could.

"You chose to mess with the wrong people, girly!"

I didn't know if that was suppose to scare me or not, but it didn't. I made a sharp right into an alley, then another right into another alley. New York was like a never ending maze! I could still hear their footsteps trailing right behind me.

"Crap!" I muttered as I reached a dead end

"No where to run now, girly"

I turned around slowly. I dug my heel into the cement. One of the two ran towards me. Once of he came close enough, I used all my strength to jump up and gently land my feet on his back for a second before pushing him into the wall. He fell to the ground, groaning in pain. The second one tried to reach my throat. His fingers brushed against my neck as I moved out of the way. I punched the side of his face. He moved away, trying to shake off the momentary daze. One large hand grabbed my neck and the other grabbed my arm.

"Gotcha!"

He had his hand around my neck so tightly I felt the chain of my necklace pressing into my skin. My eyes began to water as I tried to breathe. The second one stood up straight now with a red mark on his face. He pulled something out of his pocket. A pocket knife.

"Not so tough now are you, girly?"

He switched the blade and swung it towards me. I kicked the guy behind me in the shin and shifted my weight to the side. The blade ripped through my clothing and sliced against Guy #1's fingers. He let go and screamed in agony.

"You got some moves sweetheart" Guy #1 said, grabbing my hair with his wounded hand.

"What's with the mask anyway? What're you hiding back there, girly?"

He curled his fingers along the bottom part of my mask and yanked it off. I pressed my chin against my neck in order to hide my face and twisted Guy #1's hand and kneed him in the one place I _know _never to hit a guy. He was heavier. I ran behind him and bounced off the wall before pushing him onto Guy #2. They fell in a big heap on the ground. They groaned in pain, but didn't get up. I pried my mask out of his fingers, before putting it back on.

"Don't call me 'girly'" I said

As the adrenaline wore off, I ran my hand through my hair. Some parts felt dry and stuck together, where Guy #1's blood dried in my hair. Great. I ran my fingers along my neck. It was a good thing my necklace….

All I felt was bare skin. Where was my necklace? I began to panic. Where was it? Where's my necklace? I knelt over the two goons and searched their pockets, their hands and around them. Nothing. More panic. I tried to remember everything that happened just now. One of them had grabbed my neck…. I looked back to where I had been standing and my heart dropped in my stomach. Near it was a drain.

"No! No! No!" I said

I ran to it and looked but nothing was there, but running water. I was about to have a heart attack. Police sirens were wailing in the distant and grew louder as they came closer. I didn't have time. I ran down the alley and jumped up a nearby fire escape.

~In the sewers~

"Hey guys, look what I found!" Donatello called

He reached down and picked up the piece of jewelry. Raphael looked over his shoulder.

"Great Don. Something to add to your junk collection"

Donatello ignored him and wiped the grime on his shell. It was a small gold heart shaped locket on a gold chain. It looked expensive.

"Who would throw away such a priceless thing?" he said, examining it.

Leonardo looked at the ceiling.

"It's a drain, Donny. All sorts of things get washed in here"

"What do you think are the chances of a comic book being washed in here?" Michelangelo asked

"Guys, focus on the task at hand" Leonardo said dutifully

Raph rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say Mr. Leader"

Donatello wrapped his hand around the jewelry and followed his brothers.

"Alright, I heard the noise coming from up here" he said, pointing at the ladder above his head.

Leonardo climbed up the ladder and pushed away the sewer cap. He found two Purple Dragons lying on the ground groaning in pain.

"Aw, my head…" one of them said

"Purple Dragons. Ha, this should be fun" Raph said, reaching for his sais

"Raph, no, hang on" Leo said, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder

Both of the Purple Dragons stood up.

"Where'd she go?" one of them said angrily

He looked around him as if he was looking for something.

"Wait until I get my hands on that little bitch!"

The four turtles jumped into the shadows and slowly walked as close as they could without being seen.

"She couldn't have gotten far" the second one said, walking out the alley

The first one followed him.

"So what do you think those guys were talking about?" Mikey asked

"Shh! Mikey!" Donny hushed

"Hey, who's there!" said one of the Purple Dragons

The other three glared at their youngest brother.

"Oops" he said

Both of the Dragons stepped forward, cracking their knuckles.

"Little early for Halloween ain't it, freaks?"

The turtles held out their weapons in defense. The bigger one lunged towards them. Leo spin kicked into the wall. The second guy pulled out a pocket knife and it made a swish sound as Donny ducked under it. Raphael jumped off his brainiac brother's shell and side kicked the goon to the ground.

"Too easy" he laughed

"Uh, guys, we got company" Mikey told his brothers as red and blue flashing lights neared the alley.

"Time to hit the roofs, fellas" Raph said

They jumped up a fire escape and ran.

~Purple Dragons~

The scrawny Purple Dragon stood up.

"When I get my hands on those—"

"Hey, look what I found" said the bigger one, holding up a gold chain necklace. "One of those freaks must have dropped it"

He snatched it away from him.

"Hey, wasn't that ninja girl wearing that thing?"

"Yeah. Do you think those freaks are with her?"

"Probably. Huh, this is nice. Maybe Josie will like this" he laughed, thinking about his girlfriend. "Come on let's get out of here"

**End. I know it was probably boring, but it will get better I promise. Please review!**


	2. Upgraded Mousers

**Chapter 2: **

**The second chapter of my TMNT fanfic, hopefully this one is more interesting. Just thought you guys should know, I won't be revealing the "new ninja's" name until later on. This chapter is a little shorter than the last one.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

~The Turtles~

"What the shell do you think those Purple goons were looking for" Mikey asked

"I don't know, but whoever she was she got away" Donatello said

"'She'?" Raph quoted

"Well, they were saying 'she'. So I think we can safely assume it's a girl or woman they were talking about"

"Yeah, but I think the big question is _who_ they were talking about" Leo said

They walked into their lair.

"Ah, home sweet home" Mikey said, jumping onto the couch and immediately flipping through the channels.

Raphael walked over to his punching dummy. Donatello headed towards his table to upgrade the shell cells.

"Back so soon, my sons?"

"Yes, Master Splinter. There was nothing there" Leonardo said.

They had found enormous holes in walls of the sewer for the past couple days. They thought it could've been Stockman's Mousers again (The last thing they needed was those things ruining yet another one of their homes) so they decided to investigate when they heard noise above their heads. Leo decided it was best not to tell him about their encounter with the Purple Dragons yet again. Master Splinter hated it when they went to the surface and Leo hated defying him.

"Shall we practice on perfecting your split kick, Leonardo?" Splinter asked

He said more as a statement than a question.

"Yes, Master Splinter" Leo said obediently

Master Splinter held up a plank of wood in both hands.

Leo kicked his feet up maybe a little too high because they had hardly touched the edge of the planks and almost causing him to fall on his back.

Splinter raised his eyebrow. Knowing his eldest son, he would never miss a target like that.

"You are distracted, Leonardo" Splinter said

"Master Splinter, I can't help but feel like Baxter Stockman's Mousers are starting to roam the sewers again. What if we're forced to move again or the humans find out about us?" Leo said seriously.

Splinter rested a hand on his son's shoulder.

"You concern yourself with something that has not yet happened" he said

"Yeah Leo, I don't know why ya get yourself all worked up" Raph said, walking over to them

"You should too!" Leo snapped

Raphael scowled.

"Um, guys, I think Leo might actually have a point. Check this out" Mikey called from the couch, waving a newspaper in the air.

His three brothers ran to the couch, Raph getting there first and snatching the paper out of Mikey's hands.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" he said angrily

Don and Leo looked over his shoulder at a picture of Baxter Stockman grinning and standing next to a robot. It was a Mouser alright, just not same one that ruined their first home. This one was larger. Much larger.

~In an apartment~

I don't know for how long I held the phone to my ear, but it continued to ring. Eventually, it went to voicemail.

"Kelsey, hey, it's me. I've been trying to reach you. Where are you?" I said, leaving a voicemail before putting the phone down.

I didn't want to call too many times and sound pushy. Kelsey was my sister. Two years younger to be exact. Though, she decided to live on her own; I haven't seen her in years. I felt a little pathetic calling her, considering the fact that she lived one floor above my head. I did go up there once, but standing in front of her door I felt like a trespasser. _Maybe she'll call back_ I thought hopefully. It was probably best for me to wait patiently. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a soda can out of the fridge before turning on the TV. I sat on my couch and watched who some reporters were interviewing.

"Mr. Stockman, what can you tell us about these new and improved Mousers?"

The dark haired scientist gave the reporter a grin. I don't know why, but something about him made me really suspicious.

"Well, the original ones I made were strictly prototype. These ones are larger, more advanced and intelligent" he said

I looked to where he was pointing. It was a robot lizard with razor sharp teeth and glowing green eyes. Maybe the size of a baby deer, maybe more! It hissed and moved as swiftly as a lizard would. Gave me the creeps…

"They are also faster and stronger. They're teeth are able to cut through walls of concrete that are at least three feet thick"

"Mr. Stockman, what gave you the inspiration to create such robots to solve the city's rat problem?"

He laughed

"Well, I can't exactly take all the credit" he said "It was actually my boss, Oroku Saki's idea"

I choked on my soda. No, it couldn't be, it just couldn't be. I couldn't have heard right. Did…did he say Oroku Saki? _The_ Oroku Saki? _How many Oroku Sakis' do you know? _My brain snapped at me. Old memories flooded into my head like a tidal wave. My insides began to burn with anger and hatred at the familiar name. While learning different forms of marital arts, controlling my anger was another thing I was taught many times. It had to be him. I leaned closer to the TV. Not wanting to miss a single word of what he was about to say.

"What can you tell us about your boss Oroku Saki?" another reporter asked

"He's not one to stand in the lime light. He's a very private man"

"I bet he is" I muttered angrily and sarcastically, digging my fingernails in my palm

I turned the TV off and began to pace back and forth in my small apartment as a million questions began to form in my mind. How could it be? _Oroku Saki living in New York?_ I thought. Could it be fate? _No, not fate. Coincidence. I didn't spontaneously decide to come live in New York!_ Could he be tracking me? _Impossible! He couldn't know I was here; if he did, then he would have probably showed up on my doorstep by now. Maybe he thinks I'm dead._ My head snapped up as if an electric shock went through my spine.

"He doesn't know I'm here" I said out loud

That gave me an advantage. I was a completely new person. He wouldn't recognize me! Maybe he _does_ think I'm dead? Even if he didn't, he has no clue I'm here. The only problem was that I didn't know where _he_ was. I walked to my room and rummaged around in my closet, I pulled out my gear, brushing off whatever filth it carried from the goons the night before. Looks like I was going to pay Mr. Stockman a little visit.

**End of Chapter 2. Please review! :) **


	3. Stockman's Lab

**Chapter 3: **

**I actually had fun writing this one! :) Even if I'm not good at writing fight scenes. Enjoy! (Warning: language in this chapter)**

I ran through the halls as swiftly and quietly as I could. I had to find which lab Stockman was in. I hid behind a wall as I heard someone coming. It was Stockman. Huh. Convenient. I watched as he punched in some kind of code before entering a lab. Maybe I should wait and confront him when he comes out. I waited for a while, but he never came back out. I looked around to make sure the hall was clear. Quieter than a graveyard. I dialed the code I saw Stockman press earlier. The door made a hissing noise as it opened. I heard footsteps approaching. There was a long rod bolted into the ceiling; I jumped up there and waited. Stockman appeared underneath me.

"This laboratory is closed!" Stockman said loudly towards the door. "I thought I locked up" he added

I jumped away from the ceiling and landed in front of him. He stepped back in surprise.

"You did" I assured him "You must be Mr. Stockman"

He took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses on his lab coat.

"It's _Doctor_ Stockman, actually. I'm sorry, I really don't have time to answer any questions for reporters or…"

He gave me an up and down look.

"Pesky teenagers. All I can tell you is that it's not easy to become a scientist, it takes a lot of knowledge and smarts to become one"

Was this guy serious? I was standing here in my usual "night gear", and this guy thought I was here for some advice on how to be a scientist. How the hell did _he_ ever become one? I'm gonna guess and say he was used to seeing people in all black clothing and masks. (Then again he would be if he worked for someone like Saki) I just gave him a small smile and folded my arms across my chest.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed I chose a much more different career path; and personally, I like this one a lot better" I replied

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could; I grabbed him by the front of his lab coat and shoved him against the wall.

"Young lady, I refuse to—"

"I didn't come here for advice, I came here for answers. Where's Oroku Saki?" I demanded

He blinked.

"I'm sorry, who?" he said

"You heard me"

"How do you know my employer?"

This guy was seriously starting to annoy me.

"Oh, I know him _very_ well. Let's just say we have unfinished business and I want to know where that coward is hiding"

He shifted, but I pushed him back against the wall. He was taller, but I was quicker.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Either you tell me where that low-life is hiding, or I'll just send him a message through you and believe me, it'll be a really painful message for you to delivery"

I raised my fist, but didn't strike. He grinned evilly.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you deliver the message? My Mousers can lead you there"

I raised an eyebrow and looked over my shoulder. _Crap_ I thought. About ten of his "robo-lizards" were standing behind me. They snapped their jaws mechanically. Why didn't I hear them coming? I must've been so focused on finding out where Saki was that I didn't hear them.

"Then again, I don't think you can deliver a message when you're in pieces" Stockman said smugly.

I backed away towards the opposite wall. The robot lizards advanced towards me, their metal tails swerving back and forth. Stockman casually walked towards the exit.

"Have a good night, young lady. Oh, and remember to turn off the lights before you leave" he said, walking out of the laboratory.

The one in front of me grabbed my clothing with the front of its teeth. I kicked it away with the flat of my foot. There was a loud _riiiiip _as my gear ripped around my ankle. I jumped on a table, looking around for a way out. The only exit was the door Stockman walked out of. I had to get to it. The Mousers chewed on the legs of the table, making it wobble before it collapsed underneath me. I lost my balance and fell with it. One of them lunged for my head; I turned over, using the table as a shield. Its head made a hole through the table and it snapped at my face. I smashed the table against the wall, ripping its head clean off. Few more jumped at me; I used both my hands and threw the table like a Frisbee. I had to get out of here. I sprinted towards the door, but Stockman had locked it.

"Damn it!" I said loudly

I turned as more lizards came towards me. I ducked as one jumped past my head. Its teeth stuck in the door. I jumped on another one as it swerved towards my ankles. I landed on its neck and the small heel of my boots broke its neck. I grabbed the tail of a dead robot and hit it against the robot that was hanging on the door by its teeth. I looked around the lab at all the scrap metal lying around. Now all I had to do was find a way out of here. My master's advice came to mind. _When you are trapped, use your resources to escape and leave no trail!_ I looked around the lab. The big question was: What _were_ my resources? This lab had nothing but a giant computer screen and an even bigger keyboard. No windows, nothing. There had to be something in here to disable the security code. I searched through the computer but couldn't find anything. Great. Useless. What other resources did I have? I looked around the lab. A broken table and robot parts. What I needed was something to cut through steel. Wait a minute. _They're teeth are able to cut through walls of concrete that are at least three feet thick._ Stockman's words repeated in my head. If they could cut through concrete…I wonder if they would cut through steel. I looked at the door. Sure enough, there were a few holes shaped in a curve where the robot had bit into.(Guess I was lucky they didn't reach my arm) I pulled a tooth out of one of the robot's mouth and made a big hole at the bottom of the door; big enough for me to crawl through. It cut through steel as if it were paper.

Huh. Maybe those Mouser things weren't so useless after all. I was about to crawl through it, but stopped. I remembered why I was here in the first place. I looked back at the computer. I wonder…

I ran back towards the computer and searched for anything that involved Oroku Saki. My fingers moved against the keyboard eagerly and anxiously. It wasn't the good kind of eagerness either. I clicked on a file and a familiar red symbol appeared on the screen. My eyes widened and I gasped. The whole two minutes I stared at it felt like an hour.

"It's true" I whispered.

It was his symbol. So, it was true. Oroku Saki was here in New York. A chill went through my spine as I thought of how close I probably was to him. He could've been as close as the building next door. That red symbol haunted me.

I closed my eyes and pinched the area between my eyes. I remembered an evil laugh and a fire. I breathed heavily, feeling my mask stick to my mouth. My fist rested on my thigh as it began to shake. I bit my tongue, but regardless a single sob escaped my lips. My eyes grew hot and a tear escaped my eye. I angrily wiped it away and continued look through the file. I felt around my neck, but then I remembered my locket wasn't there. I had half a mind to send him a little greeting via computer. If I did, then I would lose my one advantage. I stopped myself, frustrated. I was going to make sure that son of a bitch paid for what he did even if it took the last breath out of me. I closed the file and looked back at the door. I had to leave before I ran into more Mousers. _Leave no trail._

I was out of there, after I took care of one last little detail…

~Turtles~

"Don! Did you read the newspaper?" April asked

"Yeah, we did. We're heading to Stockman's lab right now" he said in his shell cell.

"Alright, be careful" she said

"That's the plan" he said, before hanging up.

"There's the back door" Leo said, pointing at the building.

The four ran behind the building. Raphael used his sais to pick the lock. There was a small _click_ and the door unlocked.

"Deadly weapon and a lock pick" Raph said, throwing it in the air and single handedly catching it.

They quickly and quietly ran up the steps towards Stockman's lab.

"Do you think he's in there?" Mikey asked

"Maybe" Leo said, as they made it to the lab floor

Though, his doubts increased when they reached the damaged door. Leo grabbed one of his katanas and crammed it between the two doors before forcing it open. They gasped at the mess they found inside.

"Maybe not" Leo replied

They cautiously walked inside.

"What the shell happened in here?" Raph said out loud

"I'm guessing someone got here before us" Donny said, picking up one of the robot heads

"I was hoping you'd say something more like 'maybe they malfunctioned'" Mikey said, warily poking one that was in two pieces.

"That wouldn't explain the broken table" Leo said, standing in front of the rubble.

"Apparently, someone doesn't like these Mousers anymore than we do" Don said, walking over to Leo. "Maybe there's something on the security footage that can tell us what did this"

Donny walked over to the computer and began to work his magic.

"Um, does this mean we can go home?" Mikey asked hopefully

"Not yet, Mikey" Leo replied

"Come on Leo" he complained "These upgraded Mousers make me jumpy dead or alive"

"Un…Unbelievable!" Donny exclaimed

"What'd ya find?" Raph asked

"Nothing!" Donny said in amazement "There's nothing here. All the data from the security footage has been erased!"

The three brothers came and looked over Donatello's shoulder.

"I tried reloading any sort of data from before, but there's nothing there. Everything's been erased"

Leo tapped his chin, thinking hard as he walked towards another robot.

"Whoever was here they definitely knew what they were doing" he said suspiciously, picking up a robot that had its eye knocked out. "Or what ever was here"

"Ah, come on Leo. Don't act like ya think some alien from outer space did this" Raphael said, kicking a tail out of his path.

"Do you know someone that would do something like this, Raph? Cuz I definitely don't" Leo said, though his theory wasn't "aliens".

"You know, Leo might have a point" Don said, standing up and walking over to his oldest brother. "I mean, Stockman said he created these Mousers to rid the city's rat problem, even though we all know that that's not true. The only human we know that doesn't like these Mousers is April"

"And I doubt Casey has anything else on his mind other than Purple Dragons" Mikey added

"So ta only other logical explanation is something extraterrestrial" Raph scoffed

"Not specifically extraterrestrial" Don replied

"Maybe another mutant!" Mikey said excitedly "Dudes, how awesome would that be!"

"Or not. Look what I found" Leo said, pulling something out between the robot's teeth.

A ripped black piece of clothing. He looked at it as if find some sort of clue.

"Gettin' a new theory, Leo?" Raph asked simply

He walked around the lab, as if to figure out what exactly happened.

"Judging by this mess, I'm starting to think that someone was under attack. Then again like Don pointed out, who else would hold a grudge against Stockman?"

**End of Chapter 3.**

**Do you guys like it? Is it interesting?**

**Please, please review! I want to know what you guys think! :)**


	4. An Unexpected Family Reunion

**Chapter 4: **

**Hi everyone! I know it's been a week since I posted a new chapter and I'm sorry. School has just been so hectic and overwhelming. I'm glad it's the weekend! For those of you who haven't read my "Quick Author's Note" (If you've already read it, plz skip this and enjoy reading Ch 4), I just want to quickly let you guys to know that first review on Chapter 3. The username is mine, but it wasn't me reviewing my own story xP. A friend of mine was reading my story and didn't realize she was logged in on my account before reviewing. (Just wanted to clear that up in case anyone was wondering why I reviewed my own story LOL) It was really a friend :) Secondly, (still can't believe I forgot to mention this in the first chapter!) The turtles are 17 instead of 15. Ok. Hopefully this longer chapter makes up for my long absence for those of you that are dying to know what happens next. Some parts of dialogue might be a bit….ehhh (cringing, I guess you could say). Language and a quick mention of tobacco & alcohol in this chapter (it's just a quick mention, nothing serious!). OK enough rambling from me, here's chapter 4. Enjoy!**

*The next morning*

I woke up and stretched my arms. I felt sore all over. I was used to it though. It wasn't unnatural for me to be sore, especially when I fought someone or something during my "night job". I cracked my fingers and swiped at the sweat on my forehead. The sun streamed through my open window. I tied my long dirty blonde hair in a ponytail, before heading into my bathroom. The last thing I needed was to be late to work. I felt the bare skin around my neck. I had to find my necklace too. I felt so lost without it. That necklace was a part of me. It made me feel off-balance if I didn't have it. _What if I never find it?_ I thought anxiously. No, it had to be somewhere in that alley, where I fought those tattooed idiots. I'll look for it tonight I decided. That is of course, if I didn't run into trouble.

I pulled on my jeans and t-shirt before heading out the apartment building. The July heat hit my face as I stepped outside. Nearby, I saw a blonde girl climb on a yellow school bus as it was about to drive away. That blonde girl was my sister.

"Kelsey?" I called

She didn't even flinch. Either she didn't hear me or she was deliberately ignoring me.

"Kelsey! Hey!" I called again, this time running towards the bus.

It drove away by the time I reached the end of the sidewalk. I sighed and headed in the opposite direction.

I walked inside the coffee shop where my boss, Ryan, was waiting for me with his arms crossed and a disappointed look on his face. He was middle aged man with ginger stubble. I went behind the counter and quickly grabbed my apron.

"Sorry I'm late. It won't happen again"

"I definitely hope not, kid. Lauren's out sick, so you'll be the cashier for today" he said, before walking in the back to the kitchen

_Cashier was better than dishwashing,_ I reasoned.

I was tying the straps of the apron behind my back when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned around and my breath caught in my throat. It was one of the two goons I fought the day before; he was with a girl. She had short dark hair and dark skin. She was wearing clothes that couldn't possibly get any smaller or tighter.

The only thing that caught my attention was the gold locket she had around her neck. Every instinct in my body told me to reach out and grab it, but I kept my cool.

"Sorry, I didn't hear anyone come in"

"Obviously" the girl said, annoyed.

For a minute I thought they were going to rob the shop, but they casually ordered something like any other customer. The guy wouldn't take his eyes off me.

"That's a nice necklace" I said to her, gritting my teeth.

"Oh, do you like it?" she asked proudly "My boyfriend here got it for me"

"Really?" I asked, falsely interested "Must've been expensive"

"It was" the guy answered "Didn't come cheap. I had to empty half my bank account to get it"

_The hell you did _I thought

"Well, aren't you sweet?" I said, trying to keep as much sarcasm as I could out of my tone.

He still didn't take his eyes off me. I wondered if he recognized me. The girl took her coffee and headed towards the door.

"Dave, are you coming?"

"Sure. Just give me a minute Josie"

She walked out the shop and waited by the car. I looked at the guy that was apparently Dave.

"I haven't seen you around here before. You new?" he asked

"I just started working here" I said shortly

He grinned and looked at me up and down.

"You're cute in that apron" he said

"Er…thanks?" I said awkwardly

He leaned over the counter.

"How 'bout it? You and me tonight. The old warehouse on Hoover Street at seven o'clock. Drink fast and dance slow. Get to know each other _real_ personally" he said smoothly, tracing a finger along my arm.

I quickly pulled my arm back. I had a strong itch to slap him. This guy was _way_ too old! Apparently, he found nothing wrong with hitting on someone that was seventeen.

"Uh, wouldn't your girlfriend get angry?" I asked, wanting to avoid this conversation entirely

"Hey, what she doesn't know won't kill her" he whispered "And you know what they say. Two's company, three's a party"

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. If he was trying to sound sexy, he was doing a great job at doing the complete opposite. I knew I was going to regret doing this, but I played along. If I got his interested enough it might be the only way I'll ever get my locket back (good thing the shop was empty). I leaned over the counter as close as I could without having to smell his bad breath.

"I'll wear something comfortable" I said quietly

_Oh god, kill me now_ I thought

He laughed. "Oh, you're one of those types"

I shrugged my shoulders. "You caught me" I falsely admitted

He grinned stupidly "That's good. Cuz I got moves you'll be dying to see. Meet me behind the warehouse around seven"

I forced a fake smile. "Great" I said through clenched teeth

He blew a kiss in my face and I caught a strong whiff of tobacco. He walked out the shop, but not before winking at me. I waved sheepishly until he drove away.

"Ugh! Only in my nightmares!" I shuddered

_Note to self: Wash mouth out with soap when you get home._

"Friends of yours?"

I turned and saw Ryan standing outside the kitchen.

"Did you see…?"

"I only saw him wink at you. Why, is there more I should know?"

"No" I lied quickly

He leaned against the other side of the counter. "Tell me again why you're not in school?" he asked.

I hated it when people asked me that question. Every time someone asked me that, I told everyone something different. It was hard to keep track.

"I decided there were more important things I had to deal with than my grades. I'm not going anywhere and I'm not exactly planning to, so I dropped out" I lied,

Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

"What was more important than school?" he asked

I looked down at my hands. At least he didn't sound suspicious. Other people just pry and pry until they don't have any questions left to ask me.

"It's complicated" I answered

"Well, you can tell me anything. You know your secret's safe with me"

"I'm sure it is, but don't expect me to tell you anytime soon" I told him coolly

He chuckled. "What's wrong, you don't trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone" I replied

Ryan chuckled again and shook his head. "Well, that just might the saddest thing I've ever heard"

I looked at him.

"Oh, you're serious" he said

"It's nothing personal, Ryan"

"Did something happen to make you have trust issues?"

I sighed. "It's complicated" I said again

He threw his hands up as if he was surrendering. "Alright" he said "If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me, kid"

"I'll keep that in mind" I told him.

I spent most of the morning and afternoon serving coffee and wrapping croissants. Today seemed even slower than usual. I guess it was because I felt so close to getting my locket back I could practically feel it around my neck again. Around five my shift was over.

"You must really hate your job if you're running out that quickly"

"I have other things I have to take care of" I explained

He smiled and shook him. "You're one strange kid, Gallagher"

That was something I was used to hearing. He took me a little by surprise when he said my last name.

"You want some advice?" he said

"As long as it's not a lecture" I said, hanging up my apron

"I know you said you can't trust anyone, but sometimes you have to take the risk and trust or else you just might end up alone"

I blinked. I definitely wasn't expecting that. "I'll keep that in mind" I said, before heading out the door.

~Raphael~

"We should be out there kickin' some robo-butt, not sittin' here waitin' for something to happen like a bunch of lamebrains!" I said angrily

"There's not much we can do, Raph. The only thing we know is that someone broke into Stockman's lab and was attacked by a bunch of his mousers, that's it" Don pointed out

"Forget about who or what broke into that lab. What we gotta do is stop those stinkin' robots!"

I began to walk towards one of the tunnels. _Obviously Stockman didn't learn his lesson the first time; maybe he needs a little bit more persuadin'_ I thought, cracking my knuckles. Splinter held his stick in front of me.

"Absolutely not" he said sharply "All of you were nearly seen twice. You cannot assume to be so fortunate again"

"Master Splinter—"

"Enough Raphael. I forbid you to return to the surface world" he said, before turning around to face his the other three. "The same goes for all of you" he added sternly

My brothers nodded obediently. Splinter walked to his room and closed the door behind him. I grumbled in annoyance and walked over to my punching bag.

"Master Splinter's right, Raph. We've already had two close calls, the last thing we need is to put ourselves at more risk" Leo said

I threw a couple punches and kicks at the bag.

"Risk my shell. We're ninjas, remember?"

Leo folded his arms across his chest and glared at me.

"I know what you're thinking, Raph. Don't even try" he said

I laughed inside as I threw a couple punches at the bag.

"I ain't thinkin' anything" I said "Teacher's pet" I grumbled under my breath as Leo walked away.

"Man, I'm hungry. What's there to eat?" Mikey asked, running towards the kitchen.

Leo shook his head and followed him.

_Great, now all I have ta do is worry 'bout Donny._

I turned to look at my brainiac brother working on something at his table. _Ha, I could slip out easily from here._

~Outside Kelsey's apartment~

I knocked a couple times on her door. I was thinking about what I was going to say when the door opened. Kelsey's eyes widened when she saw me. I felt awkward tension crawling up behind me.

"You" she said

I gave her a small smile. She didn't look too happy though. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the doorframe.

"What do you want?" she asked rudely

I shrugged my shoulders. "Can't a girl just drop by and say hi to her sister?" I said coolly

She surveyed me. "You changed your hair" she pointed out

I pushed my bangs away from my face. "Dyed it" I said unnecessarily "You've grown too" I added

"Obviously" she said

The awkward tension seemed to slowly increase between us.

"It's been a long time. I…I really missed you"

Kelsey nodded slowly. "So after two and a half years you just decided that you missed me and that you wanted to reconnect?"

"Kelsey, I know you probably have a million questions—"

"A million questions about what?" she demanded "One day you were here and the next day you're not. You left! No note, no message, nothing! You never called! You didn't even send a damn letter telling us you were okay. You just disappeared into thin air! Then you show up here on my doorstep after almost three freaking years! Wow, you have some nerve showing up here"

I must've had a shocked look on my face because Kelsey raised her eyebrow.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about" she said

"You…you mean, Dad never…he should've..."

I didn't know what to say to her. "I thought he would've told you by now" I finally managed to say

Kelsey nodded again. "He told me enough" she said "You hated me, mom, and dad so much that you decided you didn't want to be part of our lives anymore!"

"Kelsey, that's not true!" I said defensively

"Bullshit!" she snapped

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Kelsey, a lot happened that you don't know and apparently Dad didn't tell you. I swear I can explain everything, can you just give me five minutes?" I asked calmly

"Why don't you write it down on a piece of paper and leave it on the doormat? Then I'll look at it in the morning" she said, before slamming the door in my face.

I started to knock on the door again.

"Kelsey!" I said, as I knocked louder "Kelsey!" I called again.

"Go away!" she yelled from inside "Go away or I swear to god I'll call the police!"

I don't know what I expected when I saw her, but I definitely wasn't expecting that. _What happened to her?_ I thought as I walked down the hall. The Kelsey I knew would always give a chance to reconcile with anyone. She hardly loses her temper let alone threatened to call the police. Her attitude strongly reminded me of father. Well, _once_ father.

Apparently there was a lot Kelsey didn't know. A lot the man I once called my father, didn't tell her. I wanted her to know. I desperately wanted for her to know what really happened. I hated this wall that's formed between us. Then again she probably wouldn't believe me if I told her. I took the stairs down to my floor. The man I once called father always had a way of twisting words and manipulating people to believe him. Kelsey was smart, but she always stood behind him. I didn't know where he was and I didn't want to know. There was a chance if I told Kelsey what I knew; I might push her away even farther. What was I supposed to do? If I told what I knew, it could go several ways. A.) She wouldn't believe me and most likely slam the door in my face again. B.) She could accuse me of making "her father" look like a liar and probably go as far as "disowning" me as a sister. That was the last thing I needed. Or C.) I tell her everything and along with it I had to tell her about my "night job".

I balled my hand into a fist. I couldn't tell her without revealing what I've become. I couldn't risk it. She wouldn't understand. I was sure she wouldn't _want_ to understand. The last thing I wanted to do was risk putting her in danger. I had to find some way to mend our relationship without having to tell her my secret or secrets.

I unlocked the door to my apartment and walked towards my room. My suit was on my bed, waiting for me. I stood there and stared at it, shaking my head solemnly. I couldn't believe it's actually been almost three years. It felt more like five. I had missed Kelsey more than anything. No matter how badly I wanted to tell her what happened, I couldn't. I didn't want to put her life in danger. The last thing I wanted was to lose her too. Her safety mattered more to me than what she had to know. I sighed. I knew the risks and consequences of what I was getting into when I first started training, even though I didn't have much say in whether I wanted to do it or not. Being a ninja was now a part of me, even when sometimes I wished it wasn't.

~Turtles~

"What's that smell?" Donny asked, appearing in the kitchen

"Burned popcorn" Leo said, pointing his thumb towards the microwave.

"There's nothing wrong with a little extra, extra butter!" Mikey said happily, pouring melted butter on the already soggy and burned popcorn.

He eagerly pressed numerous buttons on the microwave.

"Mikey, I don't think that's such a good idea. You might—"

There was a small flash and the microwave began to smoke.

"Burn it out…." Don finished, pressing his palm to his forehead.

Don sighed and slowly took out the overdone popcorn and unplugged the microwave.

"I'll fix it" he sighed

Mikey threw popcorn in his mouth.

"These aren't that bad!" Mikey said "Leo, you want some?"

He waved his hand.

"Uh…no thanks Mikey" he said, before following Don out the kitchen.

Mikey shrugged.

"If you say so, more for me!" he said, shaking the bag over his mouth.

Don began to work on the microwave at his"lab table"

"Uh, Don? Where's Raph?" Leo asked

"Where he always is" Donny answered

"He's not there, Donny"

Donny looked up.

"He was there a minute ago"

Leo ran to the second level and looked inside Raphael's room. Not there. Leo groaned before jumping down.

"Great. He's going to get us all in trouble"

"We should go and look for him" Don suggested

Leo was about to say something, but Don was already running out the door and Mikey followed him. He shook his head.

"Master Splinter's going to have our shells for this"

Leo ran after his brothers.

~"Ninja"~

I sat down on the chair that was in the corner of my room.

I just couldn't believe it's been almost three years.

I had a life before all of this. There was a time when I wasn't a ninja at all. I was a normal girl that went to a normal school with normal friends. My sister and I were as close as two sisters could get. We never kept secrets from each other. Ever. I don't really remember what caused us to drift apart. We began to drift long before I left. I glanced at the clock. 6:43. I pushed the thoughts out of my head and changed into my suit and pulled on my mask. I opened the window and stepped out on the fire escape as a strong July breeze blew in my face.

Dave and his girlfriend were in for one hell of a surprise. I closed the window behind me and disappeared into the night.

**End of Chapter 4. **

**I'm sorry the parts with the turtles seem a little blunt! Anyway, I hope you guys are happy with this longer chapter. Chapter 5 is in progress!**


	5. A Ninja Down

**Ch. 5: Contains violence and language.**

**Special thanks to my friend who reviewed my story! More reviews wouldn't hurt guys! :) Pleaseee review! I really want to know what you guys think! This chapter is pretty long so I hope you guys like it. Anyhoo, it has finally happened! I will include more flashbacks in the future! Here's chapter 5. **

**As always, enjoy!**

I don't know for how long I waited on the roof behind the warehouse. One hour? Hour and a half? A warm breeze blew my hair back as I stared at the back door which was only visible by a single dim light above it. From inside the warehouse, I heard loud music and shouts.

There wasn't much I could do, besides sit up here and wait. I sat on the very edge of the roof; invisible to those who passed below me. I began to think about what Ryan had said to me. _"You know, sometimes you have to take the risk and trust or else you just might end up alone"_. I also risked putting myself in danger if I did. It wasn't like I've never trusted anyone before in my life. Never trusting anyone was something I was taught in the ways of ninja. It was also one of my master's very strict rules. He never took anything lightly. My master was very serious about everything when he was teaching. Maybe even too serious. Arguing with him was never an option. Ever.

_~Flashback~_

_I panted loudly. My hands were on my knees as I tried to catch my breath._

_ "What's the rule?" my master asked_

_"Never….trust….anyone" I said in between breaths_

"_Never_ ever _trust anyone._ Ever" _he corrected_

_I swallowed and stood up straight, wiping the sweat around my chin._

_"What if they are my allies?" I had asked_

_One look at my master told me I had asked the wrong question. He swung his sword. I jumped and ducked as he barely missed me. I ducked again and when I raised my head, his sword was pointed right at my nose._

_"Do you know what happens when you trust someone? Do you?" he demanded_

_I quickly shook my head. I couldn't believe my question angered him this much._

_"Say you encounter another ninja. He says he is your ally and what happens next? You trust him. Trust exposes vulnerability. With vulnerability comes weakness" He swung his sword again, I moved to the side away from its path. "Once your weakness is exposed, he shows his true colors and then he'll use your weakness against you!"_

_He swung his sword towards my head and I caught the blade between my hands a second before it sliced my head. My master pulled away his weapon._

_"_That's_ why you can never trust anyone!" he said_

_I threw a spinning roundhouse kick, but he caught my leg in mid air, and kicked my other leg out from under me._

_"Faster" he commanded_

~Present~

Since then I learned never to question what my master taught; no matter how many doubts I had. And I've had many. Something across the road caught my attention. I turned and looked as I saw numerous dark figures jumping from one building to the next. I quickly shifted myself back on the roof and tried to get a closer look. There were several of them. I mentally counted every one that jumped. There were seven. I had a bad feeling. _Ninjas?_ I thought. I heard a long creak of an opening door. I looked over the edge and saw Dave walk out. He looked around the alley. I guess he was looking for me.

"Psst! Hey, you out here?" he whispered

I crouched down on the ledge, careful not to make any movement yet. Josie was the one I was waiting for. As if right on queue; the door swung open again and made a loud _bang_ as it hit the wall. Josie stormed out with a beer bottle in one hand and an angry glare on her face.

"I knew it!" she shouted "I knew you were cheating on me. I knew it!"

"Josie, babe, it's not like that" he said quickly

"Liar! It's that slut from that coffee shop isn't it?" she demanded

"No it's not I swear!" he said

This was my chance. I picked up a rock and deliberately threw it past Dave's head, barely missing him.

"Hey!" he shouted "Who's there?"

I jumped down from the roof and lightly landed on my feet before I showed myself under the single naked light bulb.

"Remember me?"

A smug look appeared across his face.

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face again. Especially here"

I put my hands on my hips.

"And _you_ got a lot of nerve standing in front of me. Last I remember, I kicked your ass and left my mark" I said, running a finger against my cheek.

He laughed.

"Last time, I didn't have this…" he took out a long iron chain from his sleeve.

"Dave, you know this chick?" Josie asked

"Yeah. She's the one I was telling you about. Alright, less talk more fight"

I planted my feet firmly on the ground, ready for any move that was coming. I held my hand out and beckoned him towards me.

"Ladies first, girly" he said

He ran towards me, waving the chain above his head. He swung the chain, but missed me. He swung it again, this time the chain wrapped around my arm. He pulled the chain forward, making me fall and scrape my elbow. He laughed.

"Gotcha now!" he said triumphantly

I jumped up and hopped on top of the closed lid of a dumpster and pulled the chain towards me, making him step about two steps forward and kicked him in the face. He fell back, covering his nose which was now broken and bloody.

"Dave!" Josie shouted "You're gonna pay for that!" she said to me

She hit her beer bottle against the wall, making it shatter. She ran towards me and swung the broken bottle above my head. I threw up my forearm, blocking her hit. I used both my arms to twist hers, making her drop her weapon and pushed back into a pile of black garbage bags. She moaned as she clutched her arm. I gently pressed my foot against her shoulder so she didn't have a chance to stand.

"That doesn't belong to you" I said, yanking the necklace off from around her neck.

I felt a wave of relief as I held my locket in my hands again. Without another thought, I ran.

"My necklace!" she shouted

I heard the door open again and I ran even faster. I heard distinct voices as I left the alley. I didn't dare look back as I continued down the path.

~Turtles~

Raph hunched down behind the ledge. The Stocktronics building still another mile away. He could see it from where he was. He took a few steps back so he could get a running start. He was about to take off when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Midnight stroll, Raph?"

Raph swatted his hand away.

"I'm gonna teach Stockman another lesson since he didn't get it the first time. Don't even think about tryna stop me, Leo"

Leo grabbed his brother's arm.

"Are you forgetting what Master Splinter said? It's dangerous for us to be seen"

"What's your problem, Leo? One minute you're sayin' we gotta do somthin' about the Mousers and the next you're backin' out"

Leo folded his arms across his chest.

"I said we had to stop the Mousers. Not go and confront Stockman again. For all we know that might be exactly what he wants, it could be a trap"

Raphael walked towards the ledge

"Well then I'm ready for it"

Leo jumped in front of him

"Now's not the time to be a hothead, Raph" he said

Raph stood in a fighting stance.

"I'll go through ya if I have to, Splinter Junior!"

"Uh guys? Maybe you could have your brawl once we get home? We got company" Don said

Both of them turned their heads as several black figures jumped on the roof surrounding them.

"Are those guys' ninjas?" Leo asked, reaching for his katanas

They came closer, surrounding the four of them in the middle of the circle.

"Well, they're definitely ninja-esque" Mikey said uncertainly

~o-0-o~

I leaned against the wall and slid down against it. My heart raced as I stopped to catch my breath. I held the necklace at eye level.

"Yes" I whispered triumphantly

My elbow stung every time I flexed it. I turned my arm so I could get a better look at my scraped elbow. It was shallow. At least I wasn't bleeding as heavily. I didn't care much about it at the moment. I was just happy I had my necklace back in my hand. I opened the locket to see if the picture inside was still in tact. Yep, it was still there, untouched. I felt a strong _whoosh _next to my head. I glanced up to see a dark figure looking down at me. I was on my feet in half a second. I took a step back and bumped into something. Another dark figure. I backed away until I felt the brick wall against my back. There were more of them jumping from the roof.

"What the…?"

I mentally counted all of them around me. There were at least eight of them. I thought of my bow and arrows and katana that were stuffed in the back of my closet. I never carried my weapons unless I felt like I really needed to. It hardly fazed me that I was outnumbered and weaponless. That's never stopped me before. They advanced toward me and though it was a little dark, I could see what they were. Ninjas. My eyes widened when I saw their appearance. All of them were holding some kind of weapon, but I hardly paid attention to that. They were all wearing the same uniform. All black with a red symbol in the middle. His symbol. _Saki?_ I thought _Stop being an idiot, who else has that symbol?_ They made a circle around me like a pack of lions ready to pounce on their prey. The chain of my necklace was wrapped around my wrist. I eyed them all one by one, trying to find a weak link. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of them reach for their sword.

~Turtles~

"Man, I hope there are more of those guys" Raph said

"Look" Leo said

More ninjas were jumping from building to building, but they weren't coming in their direction.

"Where do ya think they're headed?" Raph said

"One way to find out" Leo said

With one katana in each hand, he ran towards the building across from them. He flipped in the air once before landing on his feet on the opposite roof.

"Show off" Raph muttered, before following him.

The four of them kept their distance as they followed the other ninjas, but kept them in sight. The ninjas jumped into one alley. Leo crouched down behind the small ledge before leaning over it to look below him. The ninjas were encircled around someone.

"What do you see, Leo?" Don asked, coming behind him

"You better look at this" he said

Don crouched down next to him brother.

"Should we help her?"

Right when Don said that, a ninja to the girl's right made a movement and she was suddenly on the ground with a ninja holding a sword above her head. Leo's reflexes took over, he stood up about to run to her aid, but she had punched the ninja in the ribs and pushed him aside. She jumped back on her feet. Before any of them could even contemplate about what had happened, she did a back flip in the air as another ninja came at her from behind and ran straight into one of his comrades. The four of them widened their eyes.

"Um, are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?" Mikey asked

"If you're talkin' 'bout a chick kickin' ninja butt, then yeah" Raph said

"Should we help her, Leo?" Mikey asked "I mean she's pretty outnumbered"

They heard a few ninjas groan below them and another two run into a wall as she kicked off their shoulders. Leo crouched down behind the wall again, both his swords still in his hand.

"If she needs our help, we're here" he said

"Why should we let her have all ta fun?" Raph asked figuratively, but he was watching the show below him just as intently as the others.

She swerved and blocked most of their moves and retaliated with a punch or a kick. She was a good fighter, but the ninjas wouldn't give up either. Every minute they were down, they jumped right back up and she started to move a little slower.

"Uh-oh" Don said "Purple Dragons at one o'clock"

The other three turned their heads. Sure enough, Purple Dragons were coming from across the street towards the alley below them.

~o-0-o~

I threw multiple combinations of kicks and punches, but these ninjas just didn't get the message. My arms began to feel heavy and my breathing was deeper and faster. I didn't think I could hold them for much longer. I had to get out of here. I turned to make a run for it, but ran into someone's black shirt. He was a tall and extremely buff. He had long blonde hair that was tied in a tight braid and a dragon tattoo that twisted around his left arm. On the side of his face, there were three long scars as if someone had scratched him.

"That's her! That's the bitch that stole my necklace!" Josie yelled

_Does she ever shut up?_ I thought

"Let me let you in on a little safety rule" said the guy in front of me

My shoulders tensed and I took a small step back.

"Never ever mess with a Purple Dragon" he said

I looked around me and suddenly it made sense why ninjas suddenly surrounded me out of the blue. _How could I have been so stupid?_ I thought. I should've known Dave would call for backup in case I came back. I guess I was lucky he didn't recognize me at the coffee shop. I was _waaay_ outnumbered this time and already exhausted. I had to muster up just enough energy just to make my escape.

"Don't even think about it" he said, as if he read my mind "You're outnumbered and no where to run"

He grabbed my shoulders and threw me against the wall. I fell on shards of glass, I hadn't seen earlier. He pressed his knee against my abdomen. I thought my ribs were going to snap.

"Now why don't you be a good girl and hand over that necklace and you won't get hurt anymore than you have to be?"

I felt around for a shard and stabbed him in his thigh with it. He screamed and leaned over, clutching his leg. This was my chance. I used his shoulders and jumped over him. I dodged and ducked the others. One guy was standing in my way in a crouched position like he was ready to pounce. I continued to run towards him, he hesitated. He flailed his arms trying to catch me, but I had slid between his legs and found myself on the sidewalk. I ran in any direction I could. I found myself behind the warehouse again, but it was empty. The necklace was hot in my palm. I shook my other hand, hoping the air would soothe the pain from the cuts. A black figure jumped in front of me. I raised my hands in defense, but the ninja didn't strike. He just stood there casually. I looked at him cautiously. I was about to make my move when I felt a cold blade press against my neck. I elbowed whoever was behind me in the ribs before throwing him over my shoulder. He stood up and waved the knife. I held my arm up in defense, but the blade sliced my hand. I pulled my hand back in pain and looked at it as blood slipped through my cut. Two more pairs of hands grabbed my arms and pinned them behind my back.

"Nice try, girly. But you're not getting away this time" Dave said, throwing up the iron chain.

I tried to get away, but whoever was holding me had a tight grip. I turned my head, waiting for the blow.

"No Dave, I want to do it!" Josie objected

He looked from me to her, before putting his chain down.

"Alright. Be my guest, babe" he said, stepping aside

"But I want to do it a little differently" she added gleefully

I saw a quick flash of the knife and it slashed against my side. I gasped. I think I was more in shock, but the pain soon followed. The pain was so intense, it caused me to stagger and I fell on my knees. I clutched my side, feeling the warm blood on my palm and trickle over my fingers. When I moved, a painful burning sensation flowed through my left side. A large boot pushed me back on my elbows. I was suddenly surrounded by more of them. The blood slowly began to soak my clothing. A trail of it went across the top of my hand. Dave took a crow bar from one of them and towered over me. His nose was still bleeding.

"Next time, don't mess with the Purple Dragons" he raised the crow bar "Then again; I don't think there'll be a next time for you"

I couldn't defend myself in this state. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for it to come. It didn't. I opened my eyes and saw a dark figure standing in front of me. I couldn't see their face, but they had blocked the crow bar that was about to strike me.

"That's no way ta treat a lady" he said

He had a Brooklyn accent. He had two sais in his hands. His roundhouse kick made Dave fall backwards on three of his friends. Three more figures jumped out of no where.

"Sorry fellas, but play time's over" another one of them said

_What the heck is going on?_ I thought. I saw dark figures throw a bunch of Purple Dragons against the wall.

Now there were eight of them? I didn't understand. I could've sworn I counted four. I began to feel dizzy and my vision blurred. I shook my head. I was losing blood; I was hallucinating. I pressed a hand against my side, trying to keep pressure on it and used the wall to stand up. When I stood up straight, I felt light headed and thought I was going to fall down again. _Focus_ I told myself _focus, focus._ I had to get help. Luckily, the Dragons were a little occupied at the moment. I didn't know who these guys were, but I was sure they weren't allies of mine. _Never trust anyone._ I half ran out of the alley without a second glance behind me. I didn't know in what direction I was running. Blood was running down my side and sweat clung to my forehead. I stopped in an abandoned parking lot that gave off a terrible odor of garbage. I leaned against the big blue dumpster to stop and catch my breath. It wasn't until I stopped I realized how much pain I was actually in. My side hurt with every breath I took. My leg was bleeding too, where I had fallen on the shards of glass. I had multiple cuts on my left hand and a long shallow one in my right. My necklace was still wrapped around my wrist, unharmed. I wasn't in any state to fight. I had to keep moving, but my injured leg couldn't move anymore than it wanted to. I heard voices and slumped behind the dumpster.

"This way, quickly!" said a voice

I stole a quick glance from the side and saw Saki's ninjas run in the opposite direction. If I wasn't injured I would have followed them. I was positive Saki still didn't know I was here. I'd be finished right now if he did. I used all my strength to stand up, but my body was so overwhelmed with exhaustion it resisted my effort. My cut and scrapes ached my whole body. I looked around to make sure the coast was clear. I pushe myself against the wall. Was it suddenly a little darker? I turned to look at four tall silhouettes standing over me. I dragged myself away from them.

"Take it easy. You're hurt, we want to help" one of them said

Now I really wished that I had brought my katana or my bow and arrows. Under the trashcan, there was a rusty lead pipe. One of them approached me. I didn't have time to think. I grabbed the pipe and swung it at him. He caught it mid-swing.

"You're gonna have ta move a little faster than that" he said.

I was hoping he would catch it, so I could do this. I swung my good leg underneath him, making him fall on his back.

"Why you little..!"

"Raph, cool it!" another said

I couldn't see them in the dark. This parking lot had no lights, but I sensed another presence and it wasn't the four that were standing in front of me. Apparently, they sensed it too.

"How many of these guys do we have to beat before they get ta hint?" said Brooklyn accent.

Before any of them could answer, whoever it was had jumped to attack them. I dragged myself against the ground. My lightheadedness didn't help the fact that I couldn't see. I managed to find the wall and stand up again. My head throbbed as I tried to move. I clutched my side and used the wall to keep my balance. The cuts on my hands stung every time I touched the wall or the ground. I knew I risked infection if I didn't keep it clean, but right now I was only worried about getting somewhere safe. It was the slash in my side that was slowing me down. I put pressure against it, but blood slipped over my fingers. _I have to keep moving_, I told myself. There had to be someone or something nearby that could help me. I took one step forward, but my leg gave in and I fell on my side, feeling the cold concrete against my temple. I didn't want to move. I was already in so much pain as it was. I tried to keep my eyes open, but darkness closed around me.

Turtles~

"They're retreating" Leo said, pointing out the obvious. "Why?"

The few ninjas had suddenly jumped towards the roofs and vanished

"Maybe, they gave up?" Mikey suggested

"Or to call in reinforcements" Don said

"Oh great, just what we need" Mikey said sarcastically, stowing his nunchucks in his belt.

He walked over to the girl they had seen earlier. She was lying on the ground, unconscious. Michaelangelo picked her up. One arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders.

"Can we keep her, Leo?" he asked.

Donatello shook his head. If he had a dollar for every time Mikey said that…

"Do you have to say that every time we find someone? She's not a lost puppy, Mikey" Donatello said, remembering Mikey said the same thing when they had found April.

"No, but she definitely is lost" Leonardo said, scratching his head.

"Or is she?" Raphael cut in

Leo skeptically looked at the mask that exposed only her eyes and hair. Another ninja? He thought.

"Careful Mikey, she might have a concussion" Donny said

Donny turned her arm and looked at her cuts then the shallow cut in her side. He pressed a finger against her wrist.

"She's got a pulse, that's good news. I'm gonna have to patch her wounds before they get infected" he said, pushing her hair away from her forehead. "At least she's alive. Those Purple Dragons really kicked the shell out of her"

Leo folded his arms across his chest.

"Makes me wonder why" he said

"Yeah well you can wonder later. We got company"

Leo turned around and saw dark shadowed figures jumping from one roof to another.

"Quick, get through the manhole"

Raph jumped in first then was followed by Leo.

"Watch her head, Mikey" Don said, as his youngest brother jumped in next and he followed.

**End of Chapter 5.**

**Because this chapter was so long, I decided to stop here. I'll get started on chapter 6 as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and please review! **


	6. Back To the Lair

**Chapter 6:**

**Remember when I told you guys that some chapters will be a bit dark? Yeah, well this is one of those chapters. Sort of. This chapter is kind of short only because the last chapter was pretty long. Hope you guys like it! Enjoy!**

~Turtles~

Leo held the girl as Mikey climbed down the ladder.

"I hope Master Splinter doesn't mind us bringing another house guest" Mikey said "I mean he didn't yell at us that much when we saved April"

"April wasn't a ninja in need. She was" Leo said, looking down at her "There's a difference"

Don jumped down from the ladder.

"Leo's right" Don agreed "Just because she fought the same ninjas we did, doesn't mean she's on our side"

Mikey laughed.

"Do you know how lame that sounds?" he said "Then what is she? Part of some secret ninja organization?"

"Let's get her wounds wrapped first, then we'll worry about that" Leo suggested

They began to walk through the endless tunnels.

"She did try to kick our shells, Mikey" Don pointed out

"Um, don't you mean Raph's?" he laughed "Raph almost got his butt kicked by a girl!"

Raphael growled.

"I swear, once she wakes up I'll show her what mean an' green really looks like"

"No offense Raph, but saying 'you're gonna have to move a little faster than that' isn't exactly a friendly hello" Don said, as they approached a giant brick wall.

"Or maybe it was just your ugly face that scared her" Mikey joked

Raph pushed Mikey against the wall with his forearm and held up his fist in his brother's face.

"Say that ta my fist, Mikey. Then we'll see who's really ugly" he said

"Would you guys knock it off?" Leo said

Donny punched in the code to the lair and the door hissed as it opened. It was dark. They quietly crept inside. Leo went over to the entertainment area and slowly placed her down on the couch.

"What do you think Master Splinter is gonna say when he sees a ninja sleeping on our couch?" Mikey asked

The lights suddenly turned on. Master Splinter was standing in front of his dojo with his arms crossed.

"Explain yourselves" he said sternly

The four of them looked from one another.

"Um…see what happened was that we went topside after you told us not to and then we ran into a little bit of trouble…Ow!" Mikey said, as Raph hit him on the back of his head.

Donatello pressed his palm to his forehead. Mikey really knew how to make a bad situation even worse. Splinter looked even more disappointed.

"How many times have I warned you not to wander the surface above?" he said

"Don?" Raph asked

"One hundred and twenty-five this week" he said "Master Splinter, if we hadn't gone to the surface…"

"Someone could be seriously hurt right now" Leo finished

Leo explained everything that happened from finding Raph to the wounded ninja in the abandoned parking lot. Splinter's expression changed when Leo came to the part about the ninjas and the one lying on the couch.

"Another ninja?" he said skeptically

"Yes," Leo answered

Splinter walked towards them and looked at the unconscious figure on the couch.

"She's unconscious" Don told him "At least, she's not bleeding as heavily as she first was"

"Well, she can't be against us if she fought our enemy" Mikey said hopefully

Splinter shook his head in disagreement.

"One who fights a common enemy does not make them our ally" he said wisely

"Told you" Don said, elbowing Mikey in the ribs.

Donny's eyes fell towards the necklace that she had in her hand.

"She has a pretty tight grip on that necklace she's holding" he observed

"Kinda makes ya wonder why she was so hell bent on gettin' it" Raph added

Mikey sat down on the couch's arm.

"C'mon, you guys know how touchy girls are when it comes to their stuff. You've seen the movies. You touch a girl's things; you get your butt handed to you"

The other three gave him a look.

"You've seen too many movies, my brother. It has to have some sort of significant value" Donny said

"Maybe we should take her mask off. You know, let her breathe a little" Mikey said

Personally, he was just really curious to see what she looked like.

"Michelangelo, no!" Splinter said sternly, hitting his stick on Mikey's hand

He quickly pulled his hand back.

"Ow! What was that for?" he said, rubbing his hand

"A ninja's true identity is its only identity. It would be dishonorable to do such a thing" he said

Splinter looked down at her again.

"Let her rest, it will take time" he said

"I better wrap her wounds before they get infected" Don said, before he went to go look for the first aid kit.

Leo gently placed a pillow under her head before sitting down in a chair.

_~Dream~_

_I opened my eyes. I was in a long hall and at the end there was a wide door. There was no other way I could walk, except straight. I stared at it, wondering what was behind it. There was a scream followed by a _thud. _Someone needed help. I ran to the door and yanked on it. The handle of the door was hot. I pulled my hand away as soon as I touched it. I looked at the red mark that had formed on my hand and slowly faded as if it was never there. I pushed against the door, but it was shut by something a lot more than a lock. I pressed my ear against the door. Trying to listen to what was happening inside._

_"Spare me! Please, spare me!" a man begged_

_"Tell me what I need to know or you will join your friend here" said a raspy voice._

_I knew that voice. Oroku Saki._

_"I don't know anything!" the man pleaded "I don't anything, I swear! I was only a friend of his. I don't know a thing of what you are talking about. Please believe me!"_

_It was quiet. I pressed my ear even closer to the door until it hurt. It was too quiet. A full minute had gone by. What the heck was going on in there?_

_"I believe you" said Saki_

_I heard the man breathe a sigh of relief, but my heart began to race. A chill ran through my spine. I knew Saki well enough to know what was coming. It wasn't good._

_"However, you have seen too much" he said_

_I could practically feel the man's fear crawl from under the door._

_"P—Please…" he stammered_

_"Dispose of him" Saki said to someone._

_I heard footsteps approaching the door. I pressed my back against the wall. Not the smartest way to conceal myself, but I didn't have a lot of choices to hide. Two ninjas were dragging the man out by his arms. He had a black eye and a gash that ran along his cheek. His eyes met mine._

_"P—please help me" he pleaded_

_I jumped on my feet about to run to his aid, but something long and tight wrapped itself around my wrist. It retracted into the wall, preventing me from helping. Every time I pulled against it, it tightened. My hand grew numb and hurt my wrist. I quickly grabbed my katana from my back and tried to cut through it, but it was no use. The cord was too strong and too thick._

_"Please! Please help me!" he begged_

_All I could do was turn my head as the man disappeared behind the other wall. Another man walked through the door. He had long blonde hair that was in a tight ponytail and a dragon tattoo on his left arm. He looked at me and chuckled evilly before walking away. _

_Hun! I couldn't believe I didn't recognize him before. It was Hun! Saki's "bodyguard", as I liked to call him. I pulled against the cord one more time, but it didn't do any good. There was a low rumble. The floor around me began to crumble. Now _I_ was in trouble! I ran my katana against the black cord desperately. The ground underneath me disappeared, only then did the cord finally let me go and I fell endlessly…_

~Turtles~

"There, that's the last of it" Donny said, wrapping the last bandage around her hand.

"I wonder if she's the one that broke into Stockman's lab." Leo said

"Hm. It's possible" Don said

"Maybe, we can ask her in the morning. Let's just hope she doesn't have the same reaction April did when she first saw us" Leo said, before heading towards his room.

Mikey leaned over from behind the couch and stared at her.

"Does this mean we can keep her?" he asked excitedly, earning him another hit upside the head by Raph.

"Knucklehead" he muttered

**End of Chapter 6.**

**Working on the next one! :)**


	7. The Way of Invisibility

**Chapter 7: **

**It's winter break! And I have a cold, great way to start vacation *sarcasm*! I'm mixing up a couple things as far as tmnt episodes go (Again. I own NOTHING tmnt, just the OCs) If you guys have read my chapters, you might notice there are spelling and/or grammar mistakes and that's because my computer is being annoying. Anyway, I hope I succeeded in making this chapter interesting. Enjoy!**

~Donatello~

I sat up and looked at the shell cell next to my bed. It was almost fully upgraded. I just had to make a few more adjustments. I looked at my to-do list.

"Fix microwave" I read "Alright,"

I got up and stretched my arms. I walked past Leo's room which was empty. He always woke up early for his morning training. I jumped down to the first level. The microwave was where I left it last night. I quickly walked over to the entertainment area to see if the ninja we found last night was awake. She was the same way we left her last night. She hadn't moved a muscle.

"Huh? Interesting" I said softly

I quietly walked over to my area and started to work on the microwave. I had to get it fixed before the others woke up for breakfast. I was sure the last thing my brothers and I wanted to hear was Mikey complaining about how hungry he was. Though we were used to it, it was really bothersome in the morning. As I was working on the microwave, I couldn't help but look over at the couch every few minutes. She wasn't moving at all. _Had she been like that all night?_ I wondered. I couldn't tell if she was asleep or still unconscious. I put down the screwdriver that was in my hand and walked over to the couch again. I knelt down next to her. She looked restless. As if she had had a bad dream or something. I examined her wounds. Some of them had bled through. I ran back to the table to get the first aid kit and change the bandages. I slowly untangled the necklace that was wrapped around her wrist and put it on the table. I dabbed some rubbing alcohol on gauze and cleaned the long cut on her hand. Her finger twitched. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She didn't answer.

I wrapped her hand in a clean bandage. I did the same to the cut in her side. When I cleaned it, her whole hand curled into a fist for a minute, then loosened and relaxed. I gently placed a clean bandage over it. I looked back at her hand that I had wrapped earlier. I think I knew what it was. This probably wasn't such a good idea, but I gently pressed my finger over the cut on her hand. Her thumb curled into her palm, brushing against mine. A small hint of blood appeared under her bandage.

"Interesting" I muttered

I saw Raphael come out of his room above and jump down.

"Hey Donny! How's she lookin'?" he asked

I rubbed my chin.

"I don't know. She's only responsive to pain"

"Last night you said she looked okay"

I folded my arms across my chest.

"I'm a mechanic not a doctor" I told him

My brother raised his eyebrow.

"Since when?"

"Is she awake!" Mikey asked excitedly, running next to me.

"I don't know Mikey, does it sound like she's screamin' ta you?" Raph said sarcastically.

I told him the same thing I told Raph. Mikey looked at me, confused.

"Define 'responsive to pain'?" he said

"When you apply alcohol to a cut, it's numbing and it stings. Everytime I applied alcohol to a cut or even gently put pressure on it, she twitched"

Raph rolled his eyes.

"And you say your not a doctor" he muttered before walking towards the kitchen.

"Um, if she twitched doesn't that mean she's awake?" Mikey asked

I shook my head.

"I think she's subconsciously twitching. Sometimes, it's usually natural when it comes to pain"

Mikey put his hands on his hips.

"I wonder what she likes for breakfast in the morning" he said out of the blue, before running to the kitchen.

She didn't move all morning. Around nine o'clock Leo came walking in after his morning training.

~Turtles~

"Has she said anything?" Leo asked

"Said anythin'? She hardly batted an eyelash since Donny changed her bandages" Raph said, swallowing the last of his breakfast.

Donny told Leo everything he told Splinter, Mikey and Raph.

"She's only responsive to pain?" Leo clarified

"Like I told Mikey. It's most likely subconscious. She might not even be aware she's moving"

"On a side note, did ya see anythin' out of the ordinary comin' here, Leo? Anythin' that might say…Mousers?"

Leo shook his head.

"No, everything's quiet. Maybe Stockman's trying to keep a low profile" he said.

Leo glanced at her again.

"Did you try waking her?" he asked Don

Don nodded.

"Yeah, but she wouldn't wake"

Mikey came with a tray and placed it on the table.

"And what better way to wake her up than with Mikey's Morning Meal" he said happily.

Don and Leo looked down at the tray. There were eggs that still looked raw, overdone toast and orange juice. Don gave him a look.

"You really think all of this will wake her up?" Don said disapprovingly

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" Mikey pointed out

Donny checked her pulse again.

"Seems normal" he said

Mikey rested his chin in his hands and sat down on the arm of the couch. Few minutes had gone by, she still didn't move.

"Well, this is boring" Mikey complained, standing up. "Think I'm gonna go sewer-boarding"

Before anyone could say anything, Mikey grabbed his skateboard and ran out the door.

"How long has it been exactly, Donny?"

"Eleven hours" he answered

Master Splinter came and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Perhaps we should let her heal in peace" he said

"How long do you think it will take, Master Splinter?" Donny asked

"That is something even I am not certain of, Donatello. Healing takes time, my sons. For some it is longer than others" he told him "Come, it is time to practice your ninjitsu. Raphael, please go find Michelangelo"

He nodded and walked to the door.

"Guys!" Mikey yelled, running right into Raph.

Raph pushed him off.

"Nitwit" he said

"Guys! Mousers! There crawling all over the place!"

Don, Raph and Leo gave each other a look.

"Thought you said you saw nothin'" Raph said to Leo

"I didn't" Leo said truthfully "We better get rid of them before they come here"

Splinter put a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Perhaps, you should stay behind Leonardo. In case our guest awakes" he said

Leo blinked.

"Master Splinter, I…"

"Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will handle our unwanted house guests"

"Why can't I stay and watch her, sensei?" Mikey asked

"We wouldn't want a repeated event of what happened when Ms. O'Neil awoke" he said coolly

Raphael laughed.

"Careful Mikey, she's a ninja. You scare her, this time you might be the one that gets your butt kicked"

"Go my sons. Quickly" Splinter said

"You guys gonna be okay?" Leo asked

"We can handle a couple of Mousers, Leo" Raph told him, slightly annoyed

The three ran out the door, leaving Leo and Master Splinter.

~Leonardo~

"What would you like me to do, Master Splinter?"

He sighed and walked over to the couch. I followed him.

"I've observed her for quite some time. Though, she may be asleep she is very troubled" he said

I didn't quite understand.

"Troubled, how?" I asked, curiously

"Restless" he answered

I looked at her. She did seem…uneasy.

"She's asleep isn't she? Could it possibly be something like a nightmare?"

"Possible" Splinter said "I shall meditate on the safe return of your brothers. I would like you to stay here and keep an eye on her"

Master Splinter walked inside his dojo and closed the screen door behind him. There wasn't much for me to do. I pulled out a book from the shelf and sat in a chair in front of the couch.

_~Dream~_

_There were rows of houses that continued down the road. I knew exactly where I was. This was Hudson Ave. What was I doing here? I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of my ninja clothes._

_"Come on, slowpoke!" someone shouted._

_I turned around to see who it was. A small girl with blonde hair was waving her arm at me._

_"Kelsey?" I said unbelievingly.  
She looked maybe seven years old and was wearing a black shirt with a red tie and a red plaid skirt. Her private school uniform. _

_"Come on, slowpoke!" she called again_

_She started to run up the sidewalk. _

_"Kelsey, wait!" I called_

_I began to run after her. Orange and red leaves fell from the trees like snowflakes and crunched under my sneakers. This was favorite time of year. I would have enjoyed it if I wasn't running to catch up to my sister. Kelsey stopped in front of one house and stared at the one at the end of the street. I stood a few feet behind her. My eyes widened when I saw the house. It was my home._

_"I'm gonna win!" she said happily, sprinting towards the porch._

_"Kelsey, wait. I can't go in there!" I said_

_She didn't listen and ran inside. I followed her and stopped in front of the porch. Father would kill me if I stepped inside. I looked back at the driveway. His car wasn't here. Did that mean he wasn't either? There was one way to find out. I stepped on the first step when I heard a scream._

_"Fire!" someone shouted "Somebody call for help! Fire! Fire!"_

_Two houses down, a roof of a house was in flames. I ran to it. People were standing on the street, looking in horror. I wasn't standing too close, but I felt sweat forming on my forehead. I was beginning to suffocate too as if I was inside. I coughed, trying to inhale fresh air. My eyes began to water. I looked back at the house. The flames were wrapping itself around the house as if it was some sort of snake. Through the thick smoke, I could've sworn I saw a pair of eyes glaring at me. The flames began to swerve towards me and made a circle of fire around me. It was hot. Sweat began to slip from the side of my face. My eyes and throat burned. A figure walked through the flames and stared down at me. He was wearing a metal suit. I stood up, but I could hardly see through my watering eyes. He stood in front of me as if he enjoyed watching me suffer. It grew quiet. All I could hear was the crackle of flames and my own coughing._

_"I will have my revenge!" he said in a raspy voice._

_I knew what he meant. Fear ate at my heart._

_"No!" I coughed "No! Don't you dare touch him!"_

_He laughed evilly._

_"This is the price for your mistake. You should have known better. After I am finished with him, I will dispose of you. Pity I won't be able to see you suffer"_

_He walked out of the flames and I heard someone crying. It was a boy's cry._

_"No!" I shouted, but they were drowned by the crackling of the flames._

_They closed around me. The flames burned my skin_

_"Please, don't hurt him" I begged_

~Leonardo~

She hadn't moved in hours. It made me concerned whether or not she was okay. My brothers hadn't returned. I was in the middle of reading when I saw her move. I looked up. She shifted her head to the side. She began to breathe faster as if she was running from something. I walked over to the couch. Was she awake? Her head shifted to the side again, as if she was fighting something.

"Don't hurt him" she said

I didn't know what to do.

"Master Splinter?" I called uncertainly

He came out of his dojo and walked over to where I was.

"What is it, Leonardo?"

"She moved. Well, somewhat. She said something too, but I think it was just her having a bad dream"

Her hand curled into a tight fist. Her knuckles began to turn white. Master Splinter put a hand on her forehead. Not immediately, but her hand slowly loosened and relaxed. Her breathing went back to normal.

"What did you do, Master Splinter?"

"I have done nothing, Leonardo. Seems that the worst for her is over for the time being"

"It seemed like her dream was really bad" I said

Master Splinter was quiet.

"Though we may not know much about her. Try speaking to her if it should happen again"

He stood there for a moment before he went to sit down in front of his dojo and meditate. She inhaled sharply for a minute. I put my hand over hers, hesitantly. She twitched.

"Um…it's okay. You're safe. Everything's fine" I said uncertainly

She relaxed a little. _Huh_. I couldn't help but wonder how bad her dream must be if she was acting like this.

My brothers returned not long after.

"Still nothin'?" Raph asked

I shook my head.

"Nothing" I said

Mikey walked over to the chair next to the couch.

"Aww, her brother's so cute!" he said

I turned to him.

"Her what?" I asked.

He held up the gold locket that had been lying on the table.

"It was already open!" Mikey said quickly

I knew I shouldn't have, but curiosity got the best of me. I took the locket from him and looked at the picture inside. Raph and Don looked over my shoulder. It was a picture of a small boy with wavy brown hair and blue eyes. His small cheeks were a little chubby and his smile showed two tiny front teeth. If she hadn't been wearing the mask, I might've been able to see the family resemblance. It made a small click as I closed it and put it back on the table. I felt a little guilty looking at something I knew I shouldn't have.

*Later*

"My sons, tonight our training shall focus on combining two essential disciplines: the way of balance…" Splinter clapped his hands and the lights turned off "and invisibility"

"No way, he put in the clapper?" Mikey said

Splinter hit his stick on his hand.

"Ow" he exclaimed

"Michelangelo, the way of invisibility also includes the way of silence. I suggest you use both in order to avoid my walking stick"

Splinter jumped to another stick of bamboo. Leo jumped as he swung it under his feet. Splinter dodged Donatello and Raphael as they came towards him. Mikey clapped his hands and the lights turned on.

"Peek-a-boo, I see you" he sang

Splinter aimed his walking stick at him. Mikey caught it and lost his balance. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as he fell and caught the bamboo stick before hurting himself. "Hey, don't I at least get points for creativity?"

"A creative mind must be balanced by a disciplined body" he clapped his hands again and the lights turned off. "We must learn stillness and alertness for they are the only defense against the unexpected"

Casey walked inside, with his hands in front of him.

"Hey, guys?" he whispered

He bumped into something which was followed by more noise like a domino effect.

"Wha…?"

There were shouts of surprise as they fell from the sticks they were balancing on.

~o-0-o~

My eyes flew open.

"Huh?" I mumbled softly.

I heard a clatter of something fall, followed by groans of pain. It was pitch black, I couldn't see a thing. Where was I? What was going on?

"Uh-oh" someone said

There was a _thud _followed by "Oof!"

"Master Splinter, no!" someone shouted "He's okay"

The lights suddenly turned on. It was blinding as I tried to adjust my eyes to the bright light. I blinked a few times until my eyes adjusted.

"Sensei, this is Casey. The nutca—I mean the guy we told you about"

Another voice said something. I lifted my head, halfway to see who it was. I saw four big turtles and a giant rat. The turtles were wearing different colored masks; orange, blue, purple and red.

"We figured it would be okay if we gave him access to the lair, for emergencies and stuff" said the one with the red mask.

Whoa, did…did he just _talk_?!

"Please forgive my rash action" said the rat.

The rat too?! Was this some kind of joke? I tried to remember the last thing that happened. I was bleeding in an old parking lot and then I passed out. I had two of the most disturbing dreams I'll ever have in a lifetime…

Wait, that's it. This had to be some kind of dream. I really didn't know how four turtles and a giant rat fit into anything, but I was probably at my apartment, safe and sound. I tried to sit up, but a searing pain coursed through my left side. I lay back down and bit my tongue to prevent myself from screaming. _Okay, definitely not a dream._ I felt my face. My mask was still there. That didn't stop me from wondering if they had pulled it off and put it back on.

"No problemo" said the guy as he stood up.

"Next time it would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb: Phone first" he said sternly

This was seriously starting to creep me out. What the _eff_ was going on? _Four giant turtles and a talking rat, four giant turtles and a talking rat. _They continuously repeated in my head. Was I in a hospital and high on some kind of anesthetic? Cuz I didn't like it.

"Whoa! Raph your crib's even more awesome than ya said" said the guy named Casey.

There was another clatter. I stayed still and didn't move.

"You didn't come down here for a tour. What's the 411 on street side?"

I knew that voice. Brooklyn. I definitely remembered him before I blacked out. Wait a minute, he was a _turtle_? I knew when they found me, their silhouettes were shaped a little differently, but I thought I was just hallucinating.

"Graffiti. It's everywhere, all over town" he said

I couldn't help but frown. This guy knew he was living in New York, right?

"And I think I speak for everyone in the room when I say, duh!" said another voice.

He had a surfer voice. I was used to hearing that kind of voice in my hometown.

"We're New Yorkers, Casey. We've seen graffiti before" said someone

He sounded like a smart guy.

"Uh-uh, not dis kind" he said "I think someone's tryna to send you a message"

It was quiet.

"Blech! Talk about 'getting the point'" said Surfer Boy

"What's with the elaborate sword?" said Smart

"Do all the tags look like this?" another asked

"Some are even more graphic"

"I thank you for this information, Mr. Jones, but now we must return to our training" said Rat

_Training?_ I thought. Were these guys with the ninjas I fought in the alley? I didn't like the sound of that.

"Wait don't you guys wanna put the smack down on whoever did this?"

"Well, yeah, but it sounds way too much like a set up" said Surfer Boy

"Someone's just trying to get under our shells. Why should we stoop to their level?" said Smart Guy.

"But this is a matter of honor. What about all dat Bushy do-do stuff you guys always talk about?"

"That's Bushido" said someone defensively "Which has nothing to do with payback for a bunch of nasty wall doodles"

"Sorry Case, I gotta go with my bros on this one" Brooklyn said

The guy named Casey groaned in disappointment.

"Say…" he said

I heard approaching footsteps. I closed my eyes and played possum.

"Hey, who's da babe?"

"A ninja we found in the old parking lot"

"She asleep or somethin'?"

"For about twenty hours, now" Smart said

_Twenty hours?!_

"It's getting a little…late. Isn't it?"

"These da only DVDs you got?" he asked

"Yeah, why don't you borrow some and bring 'em back?" Surfer Boy

"Dats okay. I'll just watch 'em here" he said

I opened one eye to see what was going on.

"Come on, eject, eject. You useless piece of…"

_Crash._

There was a little girl's scream. Surfer Boy?

"Uh, I think yo player's broken"

"Uh, no problem. I'll fix it in the _morning_" Smart put emphasis on 'morning'

"Whatcha workin' on?"

"Boring stuff. Really, really boring stuff" Smart said

The guy, Casey, ran past my head.

"Hey Raph! Let's wrestle!"

There was a _thud_ followed by a _clatter_.

"Let go, bonehead!"

"No way, dipstick!"

"Pukebrain!"

"Geek!"

"Dweeb!"

"Dog!"

"Raphael!" the rat said sternly

I could tell the rat's voice apart from the others.

"Normally I discourage excursion to the surface, but I think it wise for you to take our guest outside for a breath of fresh air"

"Top side? I'm all over it"

"Booya!"

"Come on, ya maniac!"

"Maniac? Who you callin' a maniac?"

I heard a hissing noise and disappearing footsteps.

"And that's how they defeated The Thing That Wouldn't Leave" Surfer Boy said in what was supposed to be a creepy voice.

My necklace was lying on the table in front of me. I was about to reach my hand out, but I heard footsteps coming towards me. I closed my eye. I felt a warm breath on the side of my face.

"Wish you were awake to see this" he whispered

"Have some respect, Mikey" Smart told him

Mikey. I knew one name.

"Come. It is time to finish your training"

I heard them moving like they were setting up something. The last thing I remembered was that I blacked out in the parking lot. They must've brought me here. I only wish I knew where 'here' was. I became aware of how numb my body felt. I turned my palm up to see it carefully bandaged. I flexed my fingers and my cut stung a little. I still felt a pain in my side every time I moved. My eyes darted around my surroundings, trying to find any kind of exit. I had to get out of here. The only thing I could find was high brick walls. I could take all of them, I knew that. I just had to find an exit so I didn't run around like an idiot. There was a clap and the lights turned off again. Now all I could do was wait…

There was a hissing noise followed by a clatter and more groans of pain.

"You could almost set your watch by this guy" the one named Mikey said

"Casey, what happened?"

"Where is Raphael?" the rat asked

"The invisible ninjas took him" Casey said

_The what?_ I thought

"Invisible ninjas? This story wouldn't happen to include Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny by any chance?"

"I got proof" he said

I heard them run past the couch I was lying on. Both my eyes were open, but they didn't seem to be paying any attention to me, which was fine.

"Ooh! It's some sort of optical device. Heavy duty hardware"

"Raph's not answering his shell cell" Blue Mask said

_Crash!_

"This is all my fault!" Casey said

"Don't worry. I installed tracking devices in all the shell cells. Interesting, not picking up a signal"

Casey came and flipped the table in front of me. I saw my necklace fly off.

"We'll never find him!" he said

I couldn't hear what the rest of them were saying over the sound of the crashing.

"I'm getting a signal. It's Raph!" Smart shouted

"Whoo-hoo!" Casey shouted, his hockey stick hitting a light.

"This guy's bad news even when there's good news" Mikey said

"It's faint, but at least we got something we could follow…or several"

"The invisible ninjas?" Blue asked

"Raphael may not even be aware he is being followed"

"C'mon, we gotta go before Raph brings in some seriously unwanted house guests"

The three turtles and the guy, Casey, grabbed a few things before heading out. The rat stayed behind and disappeared into his room…or dojo, I guess? I looked around. This was a big place. I slowly and quietly slipped off the couch. Now all I had to do was find my necklace and bolt. I looked through the mess Casey had made. The dojo's screen door opened and the rat walked out. I quickly hid behind a brick pillar. He walked over to where I should've been lying down. He sniffed the air. I held my breath.

"You can come out, child. I will not harm you" he said

I didn't move.

"I presume you were looking for this" he said, picking something up from the ground.

My necklace!

"You have no reason to be afraid" he said calmly

I still didn't move.

"Very well" he said, putting the necklace on the ground where I could see it "You may come out and take it when you are ready"

Without saying anything else, he disappeared inside his dojo again. I waited. This could be some kind of trick. I stepped away from the pillar and walked towards the necklace. Before I could pick it up, there was a hissing noise. I quickly jumped onto the low ceiling by the TV.

~Turtles~

"I thought we'd never get rid of him" Mikey said, walking over to the couch "Hey, where'd she go?"

"She was here" Donny said skeptically

There was a blur as something landed on Raph behind Leo and then jumped away.

Raph stood up abruptly.

"Why I oughtta…" he muttered reaching for his sais

"Raph, don't" Leo said

"Uh, guess she's awake" Mikey said obviously

She had one hand on her side and a sword in her hand.

Leo felt the back of his shell. One of his katanas wasn't there. She was quick.

"That was very…ninja" Mikey said, impressively

Raph pulled his sais out.

"Okay sweetheart, you chose ta mess with the wrong turtle"

He jumped towards her. She blocked his sais and kicked him against his plastron.

~o-0-o~

These guys were a lot bigger than I thought. They might've been a little less than six feet tall. I managed to disarm both sais from his hands before he stepped back next to the other turtles.

"Why don't we all just calm down for a bit?" said Purple Mask

I held the katana in front of me. It felt foreign in my hand, only because it wasn't mine. I used the sword to pick up the necklace that was lying in front of my feet.

"Er…hi" said Purple Mask

I jumped and swung the katana at him, but he moved out of the way.

"Whoa! Okay, this is not what I was expecting when she woke up"

He pulled out the staff that he had behind his back. Someone grabbed my free arm.

"Hey, calm down!" Blue Mask said to me.

I swung the katana behind me, but he ducked and blocked my next move with his other katana.

"Hey, she wants ta dance? Fine, let's dance" Brooklyn said

He came from behind me. I moved out of the way and he landed on his blue masked friend. He came towards me again. I swung the katana and he dodged it. _These guys weren't half bad_ I thought. He lunged at me, but I ducked and moved out of the way. He stood up and ran, but I tripped him by the hilt of the katana. Orange wrapped his nun chuck around the sword and tried to pull it out of my hand. I kept my grip on it and kicked his plastron, making him fall back. I swung the katana behind me. _Clang!_

"Look, we don't want to hurt you" Blue Mask said

He tried to disarm me, but I managed to avoid it and back flipped out of the way and landed next to the couch. I probably landed too hard on my feet because a pain coursed through my left side again. I hunched over slightly.

"Ow" I muttered

The turtles lowered their weapons.

"You're still hurt" Blue Mask said "Let us help you"

I stood up straight and spun the katana in my hand. They raised their weapons again. The rat emerged from behind them and stood in front of the four turtles. He had his walking stick in one hand and he glared at me. His eyes pierced mine. I got a strong vibe that told me I shouldn't cross him. I lowered the katana halfway. I was cautious. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the door. I was so close; all I had to do was find a distraction. I raised the katana again and threw it towards the brick pillar. It stabbed the brick next to the rat's face. I ran out the door while they had their heads turned. _Yuck! What was that smell? _I tried to ignore it and ran. I could hear my panting echo off the walls and the echo of running feet behind me. There was a ladder ahead. I jumped up the few steps and pulled myself through the manhole. I found myself on a dark empty street. _Time to hit the roofs_ I thought. Using the roofs were always easier to find my way home than the streets. I guess it's a ninja thing. I looked for the closest fire escape and climbed up and headed home.

I jumped down to my floor and climbed through my window. Everything was how I left it. Twenty hours? _Man, Ryan's gonna kill me. _Iunhooked the necklace from around my neck and safely stowed it in my drawer.I yanked the curtain over my window and pulled off my suit and mask before throwing them into the pile of dirty clothes. I walked to the mirror and examined the cut on my side. It was only a scar now. Thankfully, I didn't need stitches. It would disappear in a week or two. I headed into the bathroom. The only thing I needed right now was a long hot shower.

**End of Chapter 7!**

**Hope you guys liked it!**


	8. We Meet Again

**Chapter 8:**

**I tried to make this one as interesting as I could. Hope its ok. A lot of fighting in this chapter. Please review and enjoy!**

~o-0-o~

I woke up earlier than usual the next morning. I had too many things I had to do. I skipped breakfast and grabbed the hamper of dirty clothes before heading downstairs. There was a washer and dryer in a room at the bottom. I threw in a couple of quarters before running out and nearly running into Kelsey.

"Kelsey!" I said in surprise.

"Hmph" was all she muttered as she walked past me.

I sighed.

"Do you really hate me that much that you can't even say my name?"

"Yes" she said stubbornly

I grabbed her elbow.

"Kelsey, please, we have to talk"

"Well, I don't want to" she said

Her attitude began to really bother me. I could understand why she was upset with me. I don't blame her, but she didn't have to start acting like her father.

"Kelsey, a lot's happened and I want to tell you, believe me I do. I just can't right now, I'm getting late for work" I said

She didn't say anything as she took her clothes out from the dryer and put them in her clean hamper.

"You don't go to school?" she asked uninterestedly

"No" I said a little quietly "Can we meet up after you're done with school today? I'll answer any questions you have for me"

"I'm busy" she said shortly

I sighed and shook my head. There was just no getting through to her. That didn't mean I would stop trying. I stopped in front of the door.

"Do you still talk to Diane?" I asked

She didn't answer. I walked out the door and practically ran towards the coffee shop. Ryan was not going to be happy with me.

"Where's Ryan?" I asked quickly

Lauren raised an eyebrow before jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

"In the back" she said

I ran in the back before she could ask any questions.

"Ryan?" I called

He was by the sink with yellow gloves and an angry look on his face.

"Ryan, I can explain"

"I'll say you do" he said

What could I say? _Hey, I went to find my necklace that was stolen by a bunch of gang members. Then I was jumped by a bunch of ninjas and passed out in a parking lot. Found by a bunch of guys that turned out to be talking turtles that live in the sewers. Escaped, came home, and well here I am. _I ran a hand through my hair. Ryan's eyes widened.

"What happened to your _hand_?" he asked

I looked at my hand that was wrapped in a bandage. I had completely forgotten about it.

"I…I was jumped" I said quickly "I was walking home and jumped in an alley"

It wasn't far from the truth. This was New York.

"You were _jumped_?" he asked.

He believed me. Good.

"Yeah, I was jumped and woke up in an alley last night" I said

It didn't sound that far fetched.

"Did you go to the hospital?" he asked

I waved my hand dismissively.

"It's only a cut, Ryan. Nothing I can't handle"

"Did you go to the police?" he asked

"Planning on it" I lied

He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"You mean you haven't told them yet?"

"I can't tell them much. I didn't see any of their faces" I lied "You believe me don't you?" I asked innocently

He looked like he was debating on whether or not he should believe me. It wasn't far from the truth.

"Ryan, even if you don't believe me, please don't fire me. This is the only job I have" I said

He sighed and shook his head.

"Don't ruin that cut more than it already is" he said "Can you mop?"

I nodded and grabbed the mop as he walked out. _Phew_. My necklace was safe around my neck. I only had to replace the chain before I lose it again. I let out a long yawn. I was so _tired_. My nightmares weren't helping either. My heart still raced every time I thought of the poor man that begged for my help. I tried to focus my mind on the stain that was on the tiles as I continuously rubbed the mob against it. It wasn't doing any good. I took my iPod out of my bag and put the headphones in my ears before putting the volume on high until the lyrics were the only thing I could hear. There was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Lauren. I took one of the headphones out of my ear.

"Hey, what's up?"

"A couple friends of mine were going to go see a movie around eight thirty. I was wondering; do you want to come?"

"Eight thirty tonight?" I asked

_Well, that was a stupid question_. Lauren thought so too since she gave me a funny look.

"No, tomorrow morning. Of course tonight!" she said

"I can't, Lauren" I said a little too instantly

She gave me another look. I tried to come up with something to tell her.

"I just get really tired after work and I have a bunch of stuff I have to take care of. So, tonight's not really a good night"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Whatever" she said, before walking back to her cash register. "You're strange, Gallagher. Real strange" she said before she walked out

_And I will never hear the end of that one. _I mopped every inch of the kitchen about three times until my shift was over. The sun was low. I only had about an hour before I went on my "night patrol". When I reached the apartment building, I went inside the laundry room and threw my clothes in the dryer before heading upstairs. I walked inside my apartment and changed into a tank top and shorts before practically collapsing on my bed. I glanced at the clock. Kelsey was probably out of school by now. My mind began to wander and I began to think about the mutant turtles I encountered last night. When I was training, my master had told me I would encounter strange things. I never thought they would be _this_ strange. I focused myself on my goal for tonight. Find Oroku Saki.

I sat up and looked at the window. Wow, it got dark fast in that one hour. I ran down to the laundry room and grabbed all my clothes. My clean uniform felt great and smelled just as good. I put on my mask and walked over to my closet. I put aside my bow and arrows before pulling out my katana. The clean silver steel reflected against the light. The black hilt was designed with different Japanese symbols in red at the bottom. It had symbols of courage, strength, loyalty, and many other ones. Even on the top of the hilt, it had a much smaller symbol than the other ones; which was the symbol for death. That particular one was only there to prove how deadly my blade really was. It was beautiful. I couldn't help but smile when I held it. _Hello, old friend._ My hand tightened around the hilt and the cold steel blade rested in my uninjured hand. Words couldn't explain how I felt every time I held this sword. I buckled the sheath around my waist before walking to my window. _A competent ninja is a ninja with no weapon_ my master had said. Another thing I secretly questioned. I've seen skilled ninjas with weapons, that didn't mean they were lacking ability without them. No doubt I've battled countless opponents with no weapon with me. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was difficult. With Saki hiding somewhere in this city I don't know how it would be. I was bringing my sword with me just in case. Especially after what happened the night before, I could never be too careful.

~Splinter~

_In, out…in, out…_

This is what I always did when I was meditating. I could hear my sons speaking outside my dojo.

"Master Splinter's been meditating all day"

I heard my youngest son, Michelangelo say.

_In, out…in, out…_

"He has been ever since that ninja ran out of here last night"

Said my eldest son, Leonardo. He was clever. Though, I could not see her face I knew she could be no less older than my sons. She was a child. Yes, I was troubled by our most recent house guest. It was not because I was worried she might reveal us to the outside world. It was not her mere presence that was here either. I knew not of what kind of evil that may have influenced her mind. I knew not of who her master may or may not be and for how long. That was my fear. She was a child. I couldn't bear to think of her young possibly clever mind tarnished by the ways of evil and dishonor.

_In, out…in, out…_

It was when she confronted my sons. She showed no sign of fear when facing my sons. She showed no signs of dishonor. Watching her fight, I found no signs of evil. Though, even I can't let appearance fool me. If she was in fact persuaded by the ways of evil, could it be possible to save her young mind?

"Well, this is boring. I'm gonna go hit topside" said my second eldest, Raphael.

I heard the departing footsteps of my sons as they left the lair.

_In, out…in, out…_

Few movements of her fighting ways reminded me strongly that of my sworn enemy. The one who took my beloved master from me. Shredder.

~Turtles~

"You guys are too slow!" Mikey called

Don and Leo did a double flip and ran in front of him.

"Who's slow now?" Don called over his shoulder.

"Still you!" Raph said, a few feet ahead of them.

The four of them jumped onto another roof, sticking to the shadows. Leo heard a _whoosh_ behind him.

"Whoa! Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Raph asked

"Look, over there!" Don said

A black shadow jumped over a ledge and on a smaller building next to it.

"Shall we investigate?" Don said, a little rhetorically

The four of them ran as quietly as they could to the edge of the wall and knelt behind it. A group of ninjas were talking distinctly.

"What do you think they're saying?" Mikey asked

"I don't know" Don said "We're gonna have to get a closer look"

Raph found himself looking at something else.

"Well, would ya look who it is" Raph said

On the building on the opposite side, they saw the ninja they had found the night before. It didn't look like she was trying to conceal herself. She was staring intently at the ninjas they were looking at. She jumped onto the roof of the other building. The ninjas turned around abruptly. She just stood there. She had a weapon with her this time. If they got in the middle of this, who would they fight against? Both? Don kept his hand on his bow staff.

"Just say the word Leo" he said

Raph took out both of his sais.

"I say we take her out first and then the rest of them" he said

Leo put a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Let's see what all of this is about first" he said

~o-0-o~

The ninjas began to walk towards me. I readied myself in a fighting stance. One of them grabbed their sword and aimed it at my head. I roundhouse kicked him out of my way. Another threw his chain at me, but I dodged it. I heard another run at me from behind, I back flipped out of the way. I pulled out my katana and blocked one of their swords and kicked him aside. The one with the sword ran at me again. I met him halfway and our weapons collided. I twisted my blade around his sword and threw it up, disarming him. While he had his eyes on his weapon that was in mid-air, I elbowed him hard in his chest. He fell on the ground groaning in pain.

"Whatever happened to never taking your eyes off your opponent?" I asked, though I didn't expect him or any of them to answer.

The ninja closest to my feet tried to reach for the abandoned sword next to me. I kicked the weapon away and roughly pulled him up by the front of his uniform.

"Glad someone's still moving" I said

I shoved him against the wall and held my sword against his neck just hard enough to leave a mark, but not bleed. So he knew I just meant business.

"You know, I really hate repeating myself so I'm only going to ask this once and you better have a good answer" I said, pressing my forearm against his chest. "Where's Saki?"

His chest heaved against my forearm.

"Do you really think I'll lead some…ninja assassin to my master's death?" he said

_Ninja Assassin? Huh, it had a nice ring to it._ I pulled my blade away for a quick minute.

"I'm not an assassin, but you know what? I like the name. Definitely beats The Ninja Girl" I said before pressing my sword back to his neck "Now back to business"

"I'm not telling you anything" he said "You'll have to kill me first"

"Not the answer I was looking for" I said coolly "And I don't plan on killing you or your friends over there, but maybe I can give you a little mark to remember me by?"

A sai came in between him and my sword.

"Hey, whoa, take it easy" Brooklyn said

I tried to use my arm to elbow him, but he jumped out of the way next to his other three green friends.

"Not you again" I groaned

"What can I say? We missed ya" he said sarcastically

"I'll deal with you guys later. I'm a little busy right now"

"I suggest you put down your weapon" Blue Mask said, holding both katanas in his hands

"And _I_ suggest you find trouble elsewhere before one of you get hurt"

Brooklyn twirled his sais in his hands.

"Is that a threat?" he asked

I glared at the four of them.

"This has nothing to do with you, terrapins. This is personal"

I turned my attention back to the Foot ninja.

"I'm not going to ask again. Tell me where he is or I'll drive this sword right through your heart"

I wasn't really going to. It was only a threat. I've never killed anyone, though I knew I was capable of it. I don't plan to kill anyone (maybe with the exception of Saki and a few of his henchmen). Out of no where, my katana was disarmed from my hand and I was thrown backwards on my butt.

"Sorry, I don't think I can let you do that" Blue Mask said

I didn't know if these guys were with or against these Foot ninjas, but now I was upset. I jumped up on my feet.

"Alright, turtle. You striving to get my attention? Well, you got it"

"Well, I'm glad someone's been doing their biology homework" said Purple Mask behind me

I ran towards Blue Mask and slid in between his legs and grabbed my katana and quickly stood on my feet. I jumped towards Purple Mask, but he blocked my kick with his bow staff. It was pretty sturdy. I used it to my advantage and did a back flip before landing on my feet. Brooklyn came running towards me. I jumped up and kicked off his shell, almost pushing him over the edge. I looked back at the where I was confronting the Foot ninja, but he was gone. A few of his friends retreated after him. I heard Surfer Boy coming towards me from behind. I swung my sword behind me. My blade was right by his neck. I stopped before it could cause any damage. He laughed nervously. I flipped my sword, so the blade was pointed in my direction and hit the bottom of the hilt hard against his chest.

"I so don't have time for this!" I said angrily

I was about to run after the Foot ninjas, but Blue Mask blocked my way.

"I can't let you do that" he said, both swords crossed in front of his face.

I stood in a fighting stance with my weapon in front of me.

"Out of my way, Turtle" I said coolly

He jumped forward and used both of his katanas to twist mine out of my hands and threw it feet away from me. _Not bad_ I couldn't help but think. I raised both my hands in a fist, still standing in a fighting stance. He stood up straight and lowered his swords halfway.

"I don't fight a weaponless opponent" he said

_So noble_ I thought. I crouched down a little, ready to make my move.

"In the words of my master, a skilled ninja is a ninja with no weapon"

He quickly held up his swords in defense, but he was too late. I threw a jumping sidekick and he was on the ground. I was about to grab my sword when I was knocked down. Surfer Boy had his knees under my arms and one of his nun chucks over my neck. I used all the strength in my knees and pushed him off. He was about a foot away from me, waving both his nun chucks in the air. I took a step or two back and he came closer.

"You're good" I complimented

He looked taken aback by my compliment.

"Uh? Thanks" he said happily.

My chance. I threw a spinning roundhouse kick and he was thrown feet back. He looked dazed.

"But I'm better" I said, smiling behind my mask

I looked at my abandoned sword. Purple Mask jumped in front of me. He blocked my punch and kick I threw at him. I threw another spinning roundhouse kick, but he swung his staff at my legs, making me fall on my back. I was on my elbows when his staff was pointed at my neck. Brooklyn came next to him with his arms folded across his chest.

"Not so tough now, are ya?" he said coolly

I tried to stand up, but Brooklyn pinned my shoulders against the ground before I could.

"So, what's your beef with those ninjas?" he asked me

I turned to the side in an attempt to stand up again. He shoved me back against the ground, this time keeping a firmer grip on my shoulders.

"Well?" he asked

I glared at him. Blue Mask and Surfer Boy appeared above my head. Blue Mask knelt down next to my head.

"We'll let you up, but can you manage a little restraint?"

I didn't say anything. He sighed.

"Let her up" he said

I guess he was the leader. Brooklyn let go of my shoulders and stepped back. I swatted Purple's staff away from my neck. Blue Mask held out his hand to help me up. I didn't take it. I stood up and dusted myself off.

"Whatever beef I have with anyone is none of your business" I told them

"Alright, we won't ask" Purple assured me.

It didn't make me feel any better.

"Who are you?" Blue Mask asked me

"I could ask you the same thing" I said

These guys were walking, talking, turtles that were ninjas. I was 5'6" alone; these guys were only a few inches taller than me. Brooklyn approached me.

"Don't get cute" he said "I think you already know that we're turtles. Now it's your turn to fess up. Who the hell are you?"

"That's none of your business either" I told him, as I walked towards my abandoned sword.

"Is that the thanks we get for savin' your life?" he asked

"I never asked you to" I said coolly

He folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine, next time you're bleeding to death in a parking lot don't come lookin' for us"

"I don't plan to"

I wasn't ungrateful for what they did. I just didn't know why they did it. I didn't know them and they didn't know me. I didn't trust them. For all I knew, they could be working for anyone I wasn't on friendly terms with (Which weren't many people, but it was a guess).

"I don't know 'bout the rest of you guys, but I'm kinda startin' to regret savin' her" Brooklyn muttered

"Glad we're on the same page" I said

I saw the Foot ninjas stand up. I had forgotten about the rest of them. The remaining few circled around us.

"Watch out!" Blue Mask shouted

I was suddenly knocked to the ground and found myself staring up at the blue masked turtle.

"Okay, that hurt" I said, shaking off the momentary daze

He quickly stood up and I did the same.

"Sorry" he said quickly

I looked to where I had been. A long spear was sticking in the ground where I had been standing. A ninja jumped from the opposite roof and took it.

A bunch of them lunged towards Purple Mask. He used his staff like a javelin and jumped over them. He swung his staff underneath them, making them fall. They swung their swords, but he disarmed them before they could strike. Brooklyn was surrounded by three who threw multiple kicks and punches at him. At first I thought they had really bad aim, but then I realized Brooklyn was moving his head an inch away from every kick and punch. With one swift roundhouse kick, they were all thrown backwards.

One ninja was walking over to my abandoned katana. I ran and slid past him as I grabbed my weapon just before his fingers could wrap themselves around the hilt. _I never would've thought a month of softball practice would actually pay off_. Surfer Boy was fighting with two ninjas on either side of him. He was blocking every move of theirs just by spinning his nun chucks.

Blue Mask was up against five ninjas. Two of them were trying to pin him against the wall, while the other three were trying to slice him with their swords. I threw a jumping sidekick in one of their ribs and the one ninja fell on the other two, like a domino effect. Blue Mask kicked the remaining ones away.

"Thanks for the hand" he said

"Don't mention it" I said, not looking at him "Literally" I added

He lunged towards the ones that were on their feet. One ninja was in front of me in a crouched position. I planted my feet firmly on the ground. He didn't fight me. He just…stared at me. Why didn't he make a move? Another ninja jumped in front of him and swung his sword at me. Our weapons collided. I stepped forward, keeping my weapon in my hand. I spun around and held my katana behind my shoulder as the ninja's weapon collided against it. I ducked under his sword and disarmed him. At the same time his blade snapped. I turned back to the ninja that didn't strike, but he was gone. Another Foot ninja blocked my way with a staff in his hand. He swung it at me. It was too bad my sword was stronger because it cut it in half. He shook the two halves and a blade came out both ends. I readied myself as he came closer. Before he could swing either weapon, a fourth ninja came and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough" he ordered "Come, we're leaving"

With that, he shook both ends of the staff again and the blades retracted. All of them began to retreat. I had to follow them. I had to. It might be my only chance at finding Oroku Saki.

"They're retreating" Purple Mask said

Surfer Boy threw his hand up.

"Give me some green!" he shouted, as Brooklyn high-fived him

I felt someone standing behind me.

"Glad that's over" Blue Mask said, putting his swords back in his scabbard

I spun around and pressed the flat of my blade against his plastron and pushed the blue masked turtle against the wall.

"Hey!" Purple Mask shouted

"I'm only going to say this once, so you better tell your buddies here to listen up" I told the blue bandana reptile

"We're brothers actually!" Surfer Boy chimed in

The other three had their weapons in their hands and advanced towards me.

"Guys, its okay" said Blue Mask

They hesitated, but stopped. I had to make it quick before the ninjas got too far.

"I'm gonna say this once and once only so it better sink in the first time" I said to him, but loud enough so the others could hear me "Stay out of my way"

I said it slowly and put emphasis on every word. With that, I ran after the ninjas. They were far, but I had to keep a two building distance from them so they wouldn't see me. There were jumping inside one building. Were they breaking in? I stopped when I took in the structure of the building. One the front there was the big red symbol on it. _Well, that's convenient. How did I miss this?_ Saki had to be in there. He was. I could feel it. My heart began to race as I ran to it.

_Are you sure you want to do that?_ A voice inside of me said

_Of course I do, why wouldn't I?_

_What happens when you fail?_

_I won't._

_You're doing it again. You're underestimating him!_

_He's not getting away. I won't let him. _

_What happens when you go inside? There's one of you._

_There's one of him._

_And a hundred Foot ninjas? Hun?_

_I'll fight even if it takes the last breath out of me._ I reminded myself. It was probably a stubborn thought, but it was the truth.

_That might not work!_

_I have an advantage._

_You can use that advantage in a hundred different ways. If Saki does think you're dead, you can start a new life._

_And forget about what he's done?! What he did to the people I love? The people I care about?!_

_It won't bring them back. _

_I know. That's why I have to do this._

_What if Saki gets away?_

_Then I'll look for him. Or I'll let him find me._

_You're forgetting about someone._

_Who?_

_Kelsey._

I stopped running. Oh god, Kelsey. How could I have forgotten about her?

_Saki will track you down like he did before. You let your guard down even for a second, he could find Kelsey. He'll use her against you._

I balled my hand into a fist. I can't lose Kelsey.

_Then walk away. Just turn around and walk away. _My conscience told me.

I couldn't just forget about he did! I can't let him walk around free! I _have_ to do this! I couldn't just walk away!

_When the time is right_

_When will that be?_

_You'll know_

I was going to regret this. I knew I was. I turned around and walked away. It wasn't easy either. I had to literally force myself to turn. All my effort and time wasted for nothing. I mentally kicked myself. I began to run. I ran fast and hard before I could change my mind. I didn't know where I was running; all I knew was that I wanted to get far away from that building. I only stopped when I felt I was far enough. I sat on the edge of the wall. I didn't care much about hiding anymore. It was too dark; no one would be able to see me. I swore at myself for what I had just done, but if there was the smallest chance that Saki didn't think I was dead or if he _did_ recognize me; I couldn't risk it. I wrapped my fingers around my locket. I didn't care how much Kelsey hated me, I would always protect her the same way I protected him. Even if I didn't face Saki tonight that didn't mean I was going to let him get away with what he did. I remembered everything as if it all happened yesterday. The screams of terror, his laugh, a fire, blood, all of it and I had done nothing. I began to kick myself again. I had done nothing. I pressed my fist to my forehead. I should've done something. I could've done anything and I didn't. It was my fault.

"It should've been me" I whispered to myself

~Oroku Saki~

My ninjas bowed in front of me.

"I trust you are all aware of the plan" I said to my Foot ninjas

"Yes Master" they said in unison

"Phase one begins tomorrow. Bring me the sword of Tanguh and do not fail me. You all know my strict consequences for failure"

"Yes Master" they said again.

I stared at all of them, trying to find any trace of uncertainty.

"Good. You are dismissed" I told them

As the Foot ninjas left my dojo, Hun entered with another several Foot ninjas behind him.

"What is it?" I asked Hun

"Master, these ninjas bring interesting news" Hun said

"What news?" I demanded

One of them stepped forward and bowed to me and the others followed.

"Master, my men and I…were ambushed" said the one in front

"Ambushed?" I asked

"Yes Master. By…by another ninja"

I took a paper from my table and approached the Foot ninja that stood in front of me.

"Were these the ninjas of which you speak?"

"No. Well, yes, but there was another at first"

I raised an eyebrow and put the picture aside before walking to the others.

"I see…"

One ninja had his head bowed. I stopped in front of him.

"Tell me more about this 'other ninja'" I said

The one in front approached me.

"Well—"

I raised my hand to stop him.

"I did not ask you. I asked him" I said "Well? Speak boy!"

"There was one, Master" he said quietly

I looked at the several of them if any would beg to differ. None spoke up. This gave me annoyance.

"_One?_" I demanded

He winced.

"Yes Master, there was only one of her" he mumbled

I walked back to the Foot ninja that stood in front. I took off his mask and struck him. He put a hand over the red mark on his face. I was greatly infuriated now.

"Not only were you ambushed by a single ninja. But a _girl_" I said

I grabbed him by the front of his uniform.

"Do you realize how incompetent this makes you sound!? Tell me now why you shouldn't be disposed of?"

"Master, she…I was interrogated by her. She was asking of your location" he said

I shoved him aside.

"And what did you tell this…she-ninja?"

"Nothing Master" he said "I told her nothing. Though, she did seem determined to find you" he pulled down the uniform around his neck to expose a long mark.

I raised an eyebrow. _Very determined _I thought as I looked at the mark.

"Was she with the green creature you interrogated the night before?" I asked Hun

"According to my men, she fought with them and against them"

I turned to the ninja that still had his head bowed. I took his mask off to expose a head of tousled dark blonde hair.

"Raise your head" I commanded

He did so reluctantly. I looked at him suspiciously.

"You wouldn't happen to know this…she-ninja?"

"No" he said quietly

I stared at him angrily.

"You're lying" I said

A few of his friends around him turned their heads. He opened his mouth to say something, though he stopped when I grabbed him uniform and raised him.

"Do not forget where your loyalties lie. If you should associate with this she-ninja, the consequences for betrayal are far more severe than failure"

"I—I understand, Master" he said

"Good. The same goes for all of you"

He straightened himself as I set him down and returned his mask.

"I took you off that pathetic island so you can put your ninjitsu to good use. You and your friends should be grateful"

"I only live to serve you, Master" he said truthfully

"Then do not disappoint me" I said

"Master, if you should initiate an attack on her I'm more than willing to follow through" he said

I walked over to the window and stared at the city of New York.

"That won't be necessary. I am not bothered by this minor annoyance. If this she-ninja thinks as well as she fights, then she'll know not to cross me. You are all dismissed"

The Foot ninjas bowed and left my dojo.

"But Master, if this she-ninja should come here, what then?" Hun asked

Though I was angry with my Foot soldiers I couldn't help but be the slightest bit impressed that this she-ninja was able to fight all of them.

"This she-ninja could be a potential ally or a worthy opponent. If this ninja is determined to find me, let her"

"She could be working for your enemies"

"Possible. If so, this she-ninja should know that those who fight against me end in defeat and are departed permanently"

** End of Chapter 8.**

**Pleaseee review!**


	9. Blackout

**Chapter 9:**

**Yay, a new review! Thanks crystalsocks! I would love more! Here's chapter 9. Hope you like it and of course enjoy! :)**

~o-0-o~

"Is everything the same after I, you know, left?" I said into the phone

"Nothing's changed much if that's what you're asking" Diane told me "So what're you doing?"

I sank lower into the tub until it was only my shoulders sticking out of the warm water. My elbow rested on the edge with the phone pressed to my ear.

"Nothing, just chilling. You?"

"Same" she answered "So you're coming over for Thanksgiving, right? My mom can't wait to see you again"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. August was barely here and Diane was talking to me about Thanksgiving. It didn't surprise me, she was always getting ahead of herself.  
"I can't promise anything, Diane" I told her, pushing my bangs away from my eyes

I let the hot water settle my nerves. The lights suddenly began to blink and then went out

"Oh, man!" I groaned

"What?"

"My power's out. I'm gonna have to call you back"

"No sweat. I love you!" she sang

"I love you too" I told her, before hanging up and putting the phone away from the tub.

My bathroom was pitch black. I couldn't even see my own hands. The water dripped as I carefully stood up. Goosebumps formed on my arm as the cold hit me. I moved my hand along the wall, trying to find my towel. I cautiously stepped out of the tub and wrapped the towel around myself before walking to the door. Completely black. I walked towards the window. This whole side of town was dark.

"A blackout?" I said skeptically

That's not good. This probably would be a great opportunity for people to loot empty houses or break into jewelry stores. I decided to go out and investigate, just in case. It was going to be a lot harder to find my things in the dark (which was sad considering the fact that I was a ninja). I felt around for a flashlight, which I usually kept in my nightstand. I took it out and flicked it on before taking out my weapons from the closet. I had a feeling this blackout wasn't an accident.

I was out for about twenty minutes and everything seemed fine. I was about to head home when I passed an old museum. The glass roof on the top was broken. I heard noise below me.

"Whoo-hoo! Yeah!"

"Alright!"

I looked over the edge to see who it was. It was the four turtles and they were skateboarding and bicycling in front of the museum. I shook my head.

"Boys" I muttered.

The top of the glass roof was broken, but I couldn't see anyone inside. There was a grappling hook hanging off the edge. _Foot ninjas?_ I thought. I heard some noise coming from the back. I saw two breaking in from the back of the museum. They were holding a gun in one hand and had at least three other ones around their waist. They were wearing all black clothing and big combat boots. They used the end of their guns to break off the door handle before heading inside. I jumped through the broken glass roof and quietly landed on my feet.

"Gift shop's on the first floor, boys. But they don't take kindly to shoplifters and neither do we" Blue Mask said

He was talking to two Foot ninjas and they looked like they were after some kind of sword. These weren't the two I saw breaking in from the back. This meant there were two robberies happening in this same museum. I had to find the other two before they stole something. I ran down to the next level, which was full of ancient artifacts. Rocks that had ancient hieroglyphics carved on them to bayonets dating as far back as the Civil War. There were old paintings that came all the way from France and a lot of other interesting things. I made a mental note to go touring later. I hid against a wall as I heard footsteps coming from above my head. It was the two I'd seen behind the museum. I was able to get a better look at their appearance. One of them was a girl with short red hair and the other was a tall man who honestly looked like he hadn't smiled a day in his life. The woman looked at a glass case that had what looked like a pyramid shaped diamond as big as a baseball. The woman walked over to it, her eyes looked greedy. She reached into the glass case and took it out.

"I know they say a diamond is a girl's best friend and all, but come on even you can't be that desperate" I said, stepping away from the wall.

She stepped back with the diamond in one hand.

"Just give me the jewel before someone gets hurt" I said simply

The man jumped over his friend, so he was only two feet away from me in a crouched position. I did the same.

"Believe me; you don't want to do that"

He held his gun at me. My eyes widened.

"Whoa, okay, take it easy" I told him, holding my hands up in surrender

"Why don't you go home and go do your homework, kid? Just turn around and walk away" he told me

I began to walk backwards slowly. He advanced towards me

"Keep walking" he said

I kept walking backwards until I felt the door against my back.

"What do you guys want with a diamond anyway? I mean, there's a jewelry store right across the block"

"This is government business" he told me "Now I suggest you run along"

"And I suggest you put your gun down" I said, throwing a spinning roundhouse kick and the gun flew out of his hand. I threw another kick and he fell back.

I ran towards the woman and knocked her down too. The diamond flew out of her hand, but I caught it single handedly. I looked at the pyramid shaped jewel in my hand. It had to be centuries old! It had different symbols on it too that looked Egyptian. I was so interested in the diamond I didn't see the man come at me from behind. He tackled me to the ground and pinned me down. My arrows scattered out of the sheath. I held the diamond out of his reach.

"Hey, back off!" I snapped

Then something happened. He was thrown several feet backwards as if an invisible bat had whacked him.

"Huh?" I said, standing up

My hand started tingling. I looked at the diamond in my hand. It was glowing! It was giving off a faint ringing noise as if it had been activated or something. I looked back at the man that was on the ground, who was rubbing his head. _What the hell did I just do? _I wondered. Both of them were on their feet and running towards me. I wanted to try it again. How did I do it? I held the diamond in front of me.

"Uh, get back!" I shouted uncertainly

There were thrown right into the wall by a drinking fountain as if they were swatted by a giant invisible hand. I gathered my arrows before putting them back in the sheath behind my back along with my sword. I heard a small _click_. They both had their guns out and were pointing them at me. I tensed myself. I glanced at the drinking fountain and got an idea. I only hope it worked.

"Cool it, you two!" I said

There was a low rumble and the drinking fountain exploded, spraying water on the other two. I gaped at what I just did, looking back at the diamond.

"Now that's awesome" I said

I forced back a laugh when I saw the man and woman soaking wet and they tried to stand up. My hands tightened around the diamond, but I didn't use it this time. Shortcuts weren't always the best way to go. I was about to make my attack when I heard the sirens outside. The lights were suddenly turned on and they were blinding. Oh sure, _now_ the lights worked. I ran over to the rail to see the four turtles running up here and a police officer one floor below me.

"This is NYPD! Come out with your hands up"

I turned around to run out but came in contact with a fist. I was thrown backwards and the diamond was forced out of my hand. I shook my head as I reached for my bow and arrow and aimed it at his back. It was too late and he and his partner ran through the door.

"You up there!" the police officer shouted "Don't move"

I didn't have time. I jumped on top of a high glass case and used the rail on the next floor to lift myself up.

"Hey, fancy meeting you here" Surfer Boy said

His brothers were not too far behind him.

"You up there! Freeze!"

I moved out of sight as he began to shoot bullets. I was no good being a ninja if the lights were on. I took an arrow out of my sheath and pointed it at the lights. I closed an eye and focused on my aim. Another bullet flew past my arm. I let go of the arrow and watched it fly to the lights. There was a spark and the lights were out. _Ah, much better._ I jumped through the broken glass roof and jumped into an alley.

"Close one" I muttered

I looked back at the museum and saw an armored car drive off. They had the diamond. I'll never catch up to them on foot. I jumped up a fire escape so I could get a better view of where the car was going. It was driving towards the docks. I was about to run after it.

"Hey Robin Hood, you forgettin' somethin'?"

I sighed and turned to see Brooklyn twirling my arrow in his hand. He tossed it towards me and I caught while it was still in mid-air.

"What part of 'stay out of my way' got lost in translation?"

"I'm gonna guess the 'stay out' part" Surfer Boy said

I rolled my eyes and was about to jump to the next roof.

"Wait, we just want to ask you something" Purple Mask said

I stood on the ledge and crouched down, ready to jumped

"I'm not gonna tell you my name or who I am. So don't waste your breath" I said coolly

"It's not that. It's this" Purple Mask said, holding up a scrap of clothing. It had the red symbol on it.

"What about it?" I asked indifferently

"Listen, you obviously know something about these ninjas. Do you think you could tell us anything about them? Who are they? Who they work for?"

I looked back at the docks.

"I have other things I have to take care of" I said shortly

"Hey! If you're not gonna tell us your name, what should we call you the next time we see you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think we'll see each other again, Surfer Boy?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. It's kind of a recurring thing now don't you think? And my name's Mikey!"

"Don't count on it" I told him

I was about to jump again, but a hand grabbed my arm.

"Wait a second" Blue Mask said

I pulled my arm away.

"Sorry. Look, I know we didn't get off to a very good start when we…met" he said "But I can tell you're not an enemy"

"And what makes you think that?" I asked

"Well for one thing, you fought alongside us when we battled those ninjas the night before" Purple Mask said

"That doesn't mean anything" I told them

"What my brother is trying to say is that we're fighting against each other when we could be fighting on the same side" Blue Mask said

"Are you trying make some kind of alliance with me?" I asked

"I think what we're trying to say is that we can achieve more if we work together, uh, yeah I guess you can call it an alliance. So, what do you say?" Purple Mask said

He held his hand out, but I didn't shake it. They might've saved from bleeding to death in the parking lot, but that didn't give me a good enough reason why I should trust them or even help them.

"Apparently, we were taught different things when we became ninjas. I had strict rules I had to follow that couldn't be taken lightly"

He pulled his hand back a little hesitantly.

"And what rules were you taught" Brooklyn asked indifferently

"I was taught a lot of things" I said. I didn't know why I even bothered telling them, but I did. "First rule of being a ninja: Never trust anyone"

~Turtles~

"First rule of being a ninja. Never trust anyone" she told them

"It doesn't have to be that way" Leo reasoned

She turned around so she wasn't facing him, but Leo could see her looking out from the corner of her eye.

"Shows what you know" she said, before jumping down to the alley below her.

"Well, that was a complete waste of time" Mikey said

"'Never trust anyone'?" Donny quoted "I guess that sort of explains why she tried to whack our shells when she woke up in the lair. She might've thought we were some kind of threat to her"

"Great. We save her and she thinks we're some kind of threat" Raph said sarcastically

Don rubbed his chin.

"I wonder if Master Splinter knows anything about these ninjas" he said

*Back at the Lair*

"What does the symbol mean, Master Splinter?"

"Trouble" he answered

"You know something about these ninjas?" Raph asked eagerly "Where do they come from? Who do they work for?"

"And what do they want with a magic sword?" Mikey added

Donny shook his head.

"Nope, not magic. Probably, more like a self perpetuating frequency generator" Don said

The other three gave him a funny look.

"Uh, in English Einstein?" Mikey said

"It packs a shockwave that'll knock you flat on your shell"

"We gotta go after these creeps" Raph said, pulling his sais out of his belt.

Splinter turned around abruptly

"No" he said sternly "The wise ninja does not seek out an enemy he does not fully understand"

The four turtles looked at each other, a little dumbfounded.

"But Master Splinter, Bushido demands that we fight for honor and justice and—"

"Bushido also demands that you honor your master's wishes" he snapped "I will meditate on this matter further. Good night" he said, sliding the screen door behind him.

"Undergrounded again" Mikey said disappointedly

Don was quiet, which was what he usually did when he was thinking. The other three could practically see the light bulb that flicked over his head. He suddenly ran to his computer.

"Where you going, brainiac?" Raph asked

"There's more than one way to seek out your enemy" he said

He began to type away on his computer. After a few minutes of staring over Donny's shoulder, none of them knew what he was doing. Eventually, Mikey walked over to the couch with a bag of potato chips. Raph began to fight with his punching dummy. Leo went to practice some of his ninjitsu techniques. Mikey looked back at the screen door of the dojo.

"What's with the big cheese? He's been zoning in there all night" Mikey said

"It's that ninja symbol" Leo answered, throwing a high roundhouse kick and then a punch. "It's got sensei all weirded out. He's not the only one"

"What'd you mean?" Mikey asked

"Didn't you see that ninja's face when Donny showed her the symbol? She had the same look on her face sensei did"

"Enough of this waiting around. I say we hit topside, kick ninja butt…" Raph said, front kicking the dummy in the face "Take ninja names…" another kick "And find out the whole ninja story for ourselves. Heeahh!" he shouted, taking the dummy's head clean off and landing right in Mikey's bag of chips

"Whoa, remind to never get on your bad side, dude"

"Too late" Raph retorted, walking towards the exit.

Leo jumped in front of his brother.

"Hang on, Raph. No one's going anywhere" he said

"Guys!" Donny called "Check this out! I hacked into the power company's computer system. It looks like there's another blackout on the south street seaboard"

Raphael folded his arms across his chest.

"I smell a rat. And I don't mean Splinter"

He began to walk towards the exit again and Don and Mikey followed

"Hang on guys, Splinter told us—"

"Not to go after the ninjas. He never said anything about not investigating power failures" Raph said, interrupting Leo

"Excellent. I have a couple new surveillance toys I want to test" Don said

"Wait up! It's tough being a leader" he muttered to himself before running after them.

~o-0-o~

I stopped to catch my breath. Wow, the dock looked a lot closer from the roofs. It was a good thing my bow and arrows and sword didn't weigh so much. I could see the big armored car from here, even if it was total blackness.

I was jumping roof to roof when I heard a loud scream. I felt my heart sink. I knew that scream

"Kelsey?" I called, dashing to where I heard the scream come from.

I looked down one alley and saw Kelsey with her back to the wall and clutching her purse to her chest. There were three other guys advancing towards her. They weren't Purple Dragons. They were too young to be Purple Dragons; they had to be about Kelsey's age.

"Hand over the purse honey and we won't hurt you too much" one said while the other two laughed

"Is this what you want? Here, take it! I don't care, just leave me alone!" she shouted, throwing it in front of her

The one on the left reached down and grabbed her bag, while the one on the right reached out to grab her arm.

"Hell no, not on my watch!" I muttered, as I jumped down in front of Kelsey.

No one ever messes with my sister. I landed easily on both my feet and the three boys stepped back in surprise.

"Let's make this quick, shall we? I have other business I have to take care of"

The one in the middle had a baseball bat and he patted it in his hand.

"If you wanted to join the party babe, all you had to do was ask"

The middle one ran at me with the bat.

"Here's my RSVP!" I said as I kicked myself up and threw a spinning kick in his face.

The one on the right lunged at me, I threw an uppercut before he could tackle me. They stood up immediately. I couldn't stay here much longer. I had to get that diamond. Out of the corner of my eye, the one on the left ran towards me. I pulled out my katana and pointed it at his neck. The other two stopped running.

"What the…?" the middle one said, his words obviously caught in his throat.

I held the sword in front of me casually, with one hand on my hip.

"I know how to use this" I said amusingly, spinning it in my hand and swinging it deliberately too close to the middle one's nose.

The three backed away.

"Let's get out of here" said the one on the right, running out of the alley

"I'm with you. She's crazy!" said the middle one running off.

I turned to the last one.

"Boo!" I said, and he screamed before running off too "Don't even think about coming here again!" I said

I put my sword back in my sheath before picking up her purse and handing it to Kelsey. Who had her eyes wide and was gaping at me.

"You okay miss?" I asked, trying to sound like she was just another person in need.

She shook her head before snatching the purse out of my hand. She was quiet.

"Do you want me to call you a taxi or anything?" I asked

"So this is it then?" she finally said, her voice was shaky. "This is what you've been doing for the past two and a half years?"

It was my turn to be quiet. Did she recognize me? How could she?

"Um, I think you might has me confused with—"

"Cut the crap, I know it's you!" she shouted so loud that her voice echoed off the wall. "So why don't you take that stupid mask off and show me your face!"

Her shouting caused me to flinch a little. The same way it did when "father" used to shout. I hesitated but reluctantly pulled my mask down. She looked even more in shock as if she couldn't believe she had been right.

"Hi Kelsey" I said quietly

She wouldn't stop staring at me. Her face looked hurt.

"So, what gave me away?" I asked

"Your voice" she answered shortly

"Oh" I said awkwardly, pushing back my hair

"So you've been gone for almost three years and this is what you've been doing?" she asked

"Not exactly" I said

She started to breathe heavily as if she was about to cry.

"How did you know I was here? Were you…were you following me?" she demanded

"No" I said quickly "I was taking care of other business and then I heard you scream"

"So this is what you've been doing? You were gone and you became some kind of…night cop?"

"Ninja" I corrected "Just ninja"

"It was a figure of speech!" she snapped, her eyes trailed to look at my sword as if she was afraid I might use it.

I quickly stowed it away with my arrows.

"You don't actually think I'd hurt you, do you?" I asked in disbelief

"I don't know what to think! I…I can't even look at you right now!"

I put my hands on my hips.

"Okay, let's forget about me for about two minutes and talk about you. What the heck are you doing over here?" I demanded

"I went for a walk, which is none of your business" she said defensively

I raised both my eyebrows in disbelief. She was a lot smarter than that.

"On this side of town in the middle of the night? Are you _insane_?"

"I can ask you the same thing!" she said

"I can take care of myself, Kelsey" I said a little defensively

"Well, so can I" she snapped

"Oh yeah, what happened just now is the perfect example of that!" I said sarcastically

I realized that yelling like this wasn't going to help anything. I tried to calm myself down.

"Okay, look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I snapped at you. What'd you say we call you a taxi and get you home, huh? I have other things I have to take care of and I promise I'll explain once I get back"

She glared at me.

"I don't want your protection and I definitely don't want you to call a taxi for me" she said "And I think I already know everything so I don't need you explaining to me"

She stormed past me.

"Kelsey, wait!"

"What?" she demanded, turning around to face me.

"I know seeing me like…like this might freak you out, but I'm telling you it's not as bad as it seems"

"'Not as bad as it seems'?" she quoted.

I could've sworn I detected hurt in her voice. I felt guilty just as much as she was upset.

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?" Kelsey asked me "You're…you're a freak!"

I stood there as she walked out the alley. I wasn't surprised that she said that. Honestly, I think I would have been more surprised if she _didn't_ say it. I climbed up to the roof and watched her wave to a taxi. I waited until she sat inside and the taxi drove out of sight. I jumped to the next roof towards the docks. There was something really weird going on from the other side of the lake. It looked like some kind of giant laser. Whatever it was, the platform underneath it crashed and sank in the water. I would've run to go check it out but I already had my hands full at the moment. I looked back at the compound.

There was a high wired fence and behind it looked like a really weird military compound. Through the windows I could see a weird glowing green light. I jumped down into a nearby tree to get a closer look. I balanced myself on the branch. Guards with giant guns were walking back and forth the perimeter. I snapped off a thin branch and threw it at the fence. There was a quick fizzing noise and it turned charcoal black before falling to the ground. _Sheesh, talk about high security. _I looked for the power source for the fence. I had to find a way past the fence and guards undetected. I tapped a finger on my chin before coming up with an idea. I jumped down from the tree and hid next to it. I took out an arrow and adjusted it against my bow, before pointing it past the guards. I breathed slowly as I focused my aim. If I could just make it through the door undetected. I waiting until one of the guards was in position. I let go of the arrow and it hit the fence and burned too before falling. The guard looked at where the arrow was.

"What was that?" he said "Over here, I think I found something"

The other guards ran to fenced gate and it opened. I began to sprint towards it as it began to close._ You can make it! _I told myself. I lunged through whatever small space was left between the two fences and my foot nearly caught between them. _Close one_.

I ran to the weird looking compound and crouched against the wall. Even the door was high security. I need some kind of thumb print to enter. Inside I could hear other guards talking. Their voices were coming closer. I climbed on top of the armored car as the door hissed and opened. Two guards walked out. I stayed crouched on the armored car.

"…doesn't make sense why he's after that one" one of them was saying

I wondered if they were talking about the weird diamond. I stepped on the roof of the compound and looked at where the glowing green light was coming from. I warily walked towards it. A gust of air blew from underneath me as I stopped walking. _Underneath?_ I looked down. I was standing on an air vent. Perfect. I slowly took off the cover and pushed it aside before slowly stepping in. I quietly crawled through it, trying not to make so much noise. I saw that weird green light ahead. I took off the cover and jumped down lightly. I looked around my surroundings and gasped. I seriously felt like I walked inside a mad scientist's lab. I've met one mad scientist and that was Stockman. Though his lab was nothing compared to the one I was standing in right now. This lab made Stockman's lab look like a kid's playground.

"Government business, my ass" I muttered

There was a table in the middle of the room that had all sorts of different chemicals. The glowing green light was a chemical coming from one of the big flasks. There was a table at the end of one room. It had different cages with white, black and gray rats, lizards scurrying from one end of the cage to another. The last cage had three snakes that looked like they were sleeping. I looked at the snake intently, tapping the glass. I felt like five year old tapping a caged animal at a zoo. One of the snakes lifted its head. Its beady yellow eyes stared up at me. Its mouth turned into a snarl and exposed two long fangs as it recoiled. What freaked me out the most was what I saw next. Its beady yellow eyes turned blood red and its pupils turned to black slits. I stepped back in shock.

"Whoa! What the hell..?"

Then I noticed all the animals stopped moving and they were staring at me. All of their eyes were beady red. _Okay, officially freaked out_. I didn't care what kind of mad scientist's lab or government business I caught myself in. This was beyond crazy.

~Turtles~

"Wow, awesome light show" Mikey said, as the platform sank into the water.

A helicopter flew over their heads.

"And speaking of light shows…" Leo said

The four of them ran behind a boat house and headed back to the lair.

"The design is unmistakably eleventh century Japanese, but the metal is unlike anything I have ever seen. Clearly there is more to this sword than meets the eye. Best it remain out of the wrong hands" Splinter said, placing it on the table.

"It looks like the same sword that was in the graffiti, Casey was showing us" Don said

"Obviously, someone's not our biggest fan" Mikey said

"Gee, ya think?" Raph said sarcastically

"Leo's got his 'I'm thinking' face on" Mikey said

The other three walked over to their oldest brother.

"You want ta let us in on what's going through your head?" Raph asked

"Do you guys remember when we caught those ninjas inside the museum?"

Raph folded his arms across his chest.

"Yeah?"

"Well, what was that…er 'ninja girl' doing there?" he wondered

Don shrugged.

"Maybe she heard the ninjas the same time we did" he guessed

"Then why was she on a floor below us?"

~o-0-o~

After about a long two minutes, their eyes changed back to normal and the animals went about their business.

"Please don't!" someone shouted

It had been so quiet; I nearly jumped out of my suit. I looked at the end of the room and there was someone strapped down to some kind of table. He looked about in his early thirties or late twenties. I cautiously walked over to him.

"I'm begging you! I'll do anything, just please don't!" he begged

"It's okay" I told him "I'm…I'm not one of them"

"You're…you're not?" he asked, still in panic

"No, I'm not" I said "Did they do this to you?"

He panted loudly.

"Y—Yes" he said "He…He was experimenting on others"

"He? Others?" I asked "What others?"

"Other people" he whispered "None of them survived. I'm the only one left. You have to help me"

I was about to undo the straps that were holding him down, when the door behind me opened.

"I'll help you" I promised "But I need you to stay quiet for about two seconds" I said, before jumping behind a cabinet.

I glanced at the guards that had walked in. They had a logo on their shoulder that I hadn't seen before. The logo had a picture of an eagle and the letters E.P.F underneath it.

"I just don't get how that glowing rock would help with his experiments"

"I don't know either, but Bishop said he wanted us to bring the last one in"

_Bishop? Who's Bishop?_

"No! Please, no!" the man pleaded

I jumped out behind the guards.

"You know something tells me he didn't volunteer for this" I said rhetorically

As the guards turned around, my foot came in contact with their faces and both fell back and stumbled over a table. The man's eyes widened.

"How did you…?"

"Now's not a really good time for Q&A" I said, as I pulled out my katana and sliced the belts

The man stood up and rubbed his wrists

"Thank you" he said

"Thank me when we're out of here" I said

Just as I said that, an alarm blared over my head and a red light began to flash.

_"Code Red! Code Red! We have an intruder!" _

"Come on, we have to get out of here" I said, pulling him by his arm

"But if we go that way, there'll be more of them!" he said

"We don't have a choice, let's go!" I urged

He ran behind me along the wide corridor.

~Oroku Saki~

"For a long time, longer than you can possibly imagine my enemies have managed to elude me. Here at last is proof of their presence in this city" I said, pointing at the suit they brought up from the lake "And all it cost me was the sword of Tanguh!" I said angrily, throwing the glass case away from my path. It landed with a loud crash.

"Master, there were…extenuating circumstances. These four strange creatures came from nowhere" said one of them

I held a picture in front of him.

"Were these the creatures you saw?" I asked

"Oh, yes" they both said

"That would be all" I said

They bowed and were greeted by Hun outside my dojo. Hun grabbed both of them by their necks and led them to what was coming.

~o-0-o~

_"This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"_

"Oh great" I muttered as I saw more guards running down the opposite hall.

"Quick, through here!" he said, pushing open a door

I stepped back and followed him inside before anyone could see us. It just led into another hall.

"Over there!" I said pointing to the emergency exit

He pushed it open and we were outside. Now all we had to do was find a way past the electric fence.

"How are we going to get out of here?" he asked

"I'm thinking" I said, biting on my bottom lip "Can you climb?" I asked

"Yes, but I don't think that would be the smartest idea" he said

"I know it's only a part of the plan" I said

I began to look for the power source for the fence. It was on the other side of the compound. I didn't have time to run and disable it. I just had to hope my arrow didn't miss.

"Here they come!" he shouted

The door burst open and several guards ran out. I pulled him behind another armored car. I quickly grabbed an arrow and held it against my bow and aimed at the power source. I let go of the arrow, but it flew past it. I hastily took out another arrow and leveled it to the power source so it was accurate. I let the arrow fly and this time it didn't miss. The electric buzzing from the fences stopped.

"Over there! Get them!" a guard shouted

I jumped out of the way of at least three bullets.

"We won't make it out alive" the man said to me

"Yes, we will. We just need to hide" I said, pulling out a third arrow and pointing it at the light above me.

There was a spark and then it was out. There were confused shouts from the guards. He started to climb the fence.

"Come on" he said

I climbed as quickly and quietly as I could. Once we reached the top I used my katana to cut away the barbed wire. I climbed over and climbed down the other side. I jumped down from the remaining four feet I was above the ground. We ran towards the street and away from the compound.

"Who are you?" he finally asked me when we both caught our breaths.

"That's confidential information" I told him apologetically "What were they doing to you…er, the others in there?" I asked

"They experimented on them with different chemicals and strange substances. They went wrong and…they didn't survive"

Mad scientist? Check.

"So this guy, um…Bishop, he just grabbed you?" I asked

He nodded yes.

"He's a terrible man" he told me

"I figured. Maybe he needs a taste of his own medicine" I said

He put a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't want to cross him"

We were standing under a street light (Thankfully, the blackout was over). I could see his face clearly. His face was gaunt and he had circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. His brown hair was a mess.

"You don't look so good" I blurted out without thinking

He just smiled and laughed.

"I'd like to see you strapped to table facing certain death and see what you look like"

I smiled back at him.

"Good point. Will you be okay from here?" I asked

"I'm sure I'll get home just fine from here"

"Okay, well, I have to get home too. Take care of yourself" I said kindly

He took my hand in both of his.

"Thanks again, kid"

**End of Chapter 9.**

**Uh-oh. What do you think will happen when she cross paths with Bishop? Pleaseee review! **

**Chapter 10 in progress!**


	10. Honor Test and the Fight

**Chapter 10:**

** Whoa! 80 views in one day?! You guys are awesome! I just wish there were more reviews (Thanks Cosmos Angel and crystalsocks!) I had a lot of writer's blocks during this chapter so it might be a little choppy. Hope it's okay. Enjoy!**

o-0-o

_My alarm ran loudly. It was one of those old radio alarms. I stretched my arm and turned up the volume as "So What" by Pink starting to play loudly in my room. I love this song! I jumped out of my bed before heading to my mirror and brushing the tangles out of my hair. I closed my bedroom door as I danced towards my closet and took out my yellow volleyball uniform and black spandex. I took out my volleyball with it and threw it on my bed. I might be average height unlike the other girls on the team that were really tall, but my skills cancelled that out. I changed into my volleyball uniform, while turning the volume on my radio just a little bit higher. I danced while I tied my long hair in a ponytail. I grabbed the ball and bounced it on my head a few times and it hit the ceiling before landing in my hands. There was a small hardly visible crack. I hope Dad didn't see it. I headed downstairs to the kitchen where my mother was cooking. She was wearing her pale pink apron with tiny muffins on it. _

_"Morning Mama" I said happily, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek._

_"Morning, dear" she said, giving me her big smile._

_Her smile was so bright; it could light up a dark room. Kelsey was sitting at the kitchen table stirring her spoon distractedly in her cereal. I came next to her._

_"First day blues?" I asked_

_"Is it that obvious?" she asked_

_"You'll do fine" I assured, squeezing her hand "If it makes you feel any better, when I started high school last week I was nervous too because it was bigger, but there's really nothing to be afraid about" I told her_

_"Middle school is a littler different from high school, genius" Kelsey said playfully hitting my head._

_I laughed._

_"Alright, just smile and keep your head up, it makes you look prettier" I said "Then again, you don't need to look prettier" I added._

_Kelsey took after my mother with her pretty blonde hair and blue eyes. Sometimes, I was jealous of her. I had my mother's eyes too, but I took more after my father. _

_"And don't forget, if anyone gives you a hard time just put a hand on their shoulder…" I put a hand on Kelsey's shoulder "Look them in the eye and ask them 'Do you know my sister?'" _

_Kelsey laughed_

_"I'm not as insecure as I look, sis. I can handle it. You of all people should know that"_

_"You're right, I do" I said, sitting back in my chair "That doesn't mean I won't have your back one hundred percent. Like I said, if anyone gives you a hard time just let me know"_

_My mother gave me a warning look._

_"I don't want to see any smears on either of your records, girls" she said warningly._

_"Relax Mama, I'm only watching out for my wittle sister" I said in a baby voice, reaching out to playfully pinch Kelsey's cheek, but she swatted my hand away._

_"Thanks bodyguard, but for now you're off duty" Kelsey said_

_I laughed and grabbed her wrist._

_"Come on, I'll help you with your makeup" I said, leading her upstairs "Mother, we're going to Diane's afterschool today!" I called_

_"Be home by eight!" she called back_

_"I have to or Dad will yell at me" I muttered under my breath_

_I looked back at my sister._

_"Kelsey, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be so pretty everyone won't stop staring"_

_"You mean as pretty as you?" she pointed out_

_I shrugged my shoulders._

_"Maybe not that pretty" I said jokingly, messing up her hair_

_We both laughed as we walked into her room_

I woke up and stretched my arms. I was so tired from last night that I had fallen asleep in my ninja suit. I walked over to the mirror and pushed my hair back. I was surprised to find myself smiling. I haven't had a dream like that in a long time. It made me happy, even if it was a distant memory. I looked outside, it was still dark. I glanced at the clock. It was five in the morning. Why was I up so early? I didn't want to go back to sleep and I didn't have work today. Great, it was one of those days. My sword was lying on the ground next to my bed. I picked it up and turned it in my hand. Might as well do something while I was up. I put on my mask and headed outside towards the roof of my apartment building. I might as well get in a little bit of weapons practice. I haven't meditated in a while either. I made a mental note to do that later. The sky was a deep indigo color. It wasn't that quiet, but it was quiet enough. The only thing I heard was the morning traffic on the streets below me. I liked it better when it was quiet and peaceful like up here on the roofs.

I held the edge of my blade in front of my face. The wind blew in my ears. I imagined my opponent standing in front of me. I swung my sword diagonally and held it in both my hands above my head. I stepped forward and my weapon made a _swish _sound. I imagined my opponent down. I imagined my second opponent coming from behind. I turned around and swung my sword. _Clang!_ I was shaken out of my "daydream" as my katana collided with another.

"Nice weapon" said the blue masked reptile.

I lowered my sword.

"Okay, honestly, what part of 'stay out of my way' don't you understand?" I asked, annoyed "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Relax. I'm only passing through" he said calmly

I rested my elbow on the bottom hilt of my katana and put a hand on my hip.

"Well, don't let me get in your way" I said coolly

He put his sword back in its scabbard.

"I want to ask you a few things before I continue my morning training" he told me

"Morning training?" I asked, impressively "Dedication. That's good"

"Dedication has little to do with it" he said

"Whatever" I answered. "Make your questions fast and don't expect a long clear answer. I'm usually vague with people I don't trust"

He folded his arms across his chest.

"As far as I know, my brothers and I have never given you a reason not to trust us" he said

"You've never given me a reason why I _should_ trust you" I countered

"Despite the fact that my brothers and I saved you from bleeding to death in a parking lot"

I shook my head.

"Not good enough in my book" I told him "You're gonna have to work a _little_ harder than that to win my trust, buddy"

He raised an eyebrow

"Are you always this stubborn?" he asked

"Are these the original questions you had for me?" I countered again

He pursed his lips.

"No" he said shortly

"Didn't think so" I said coolly, leaning against the wall and resting my chin on my fist "So let's not stray off topic, shall we?"

He sighed

"Fine. What do you know about the…other ninjas?" he asked, as if he was choosing his words carefully.

I rolled my eyes.

"It's like I told you before—"

"Before, you told us you had other things to take care of" he said "Seems to me you aren't really that busy at the moment"

I couldn't help but be a little surprised.

"You were listening. I'm impressed" I said

"That doesn't answer my question" he told me

I folded my arms across my chest.

"Why are you interrogating me about them? You should take a page out of my book and grab one and ask them yourself" I suggested

"A wise ninja doesn't look for an enemy he doesn't completely understand. Something my master told me" he said

His master sounded wise. My master never taught me anything like that.

"Well obviously our masters taught us differently" I said

He waited for me to answer.

"Look, I can't tell you who they are" I told him "All I can tell you, is that you're better off not knowing, believe me"

He walked over to the wall and looked at the streets below him.

"My master knows something about those ninjas too, but he didn't tell us anything about them either" he explained

I didn't know why he was telling me this. I nodded slowly.

"So that means if your master was here right now, he'd agree with me" I said coolly "Is that the only question you have for me?"

"No. Second question, what were you doing inside that museum last night?"

"Stopping a robbery" I said shortly "What's it to you?"

"There was a robbery happening on the floor we were on. You weren't there"

I folded my arms across my chest.

"There were another two breaking in from the back of the museum. Obviously, you didn't hear them coming" I told him, slightly annoyed "If you don't believe that's your problem, I don't care"

The blue masked turtle stared at me as if he was wondering if he should believe me.

"Are those the only questions you have?"

"Just one more" he said "When I said I could tell you weren't an enemy, you asked what made me think that. That got me thinking. _Are_ you an enemy?"

"Why don't I rephrase?" I suggested, spinning my sword in my hand "You don't want to make an enemy out of me" I said

He took two steps back.

"That doesn't answer my question. So I'd rather find out for myself" he said, taking both his swords out

I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you challenging me?" I asked, stepping forward

"Maybe" he said, holding both swords in front of his face "Do you accept it?"

I held my katana in front of me. "You have no idea what you're dealing with" I told him

I swung my sword, but he moved to the side and ducked as I swung it again. Both his katanas aimed for my head, but I used mine to block it. My arm shook as he tried to force it downward. I twisted one of his swords out of his hands and swept my left foot underneath him. He fell back on his back, uh…shell. I kicked his sword in his direction.

"Stand up and fight" I told him

He picked up his sword and ran towards me. I jumped up as he swung them at me again, but I kicked both my feet on his plastron and he was on the ground. I put my sword back in my sheath with my foot still on his chest. That was easy. Maybe too easy.

"You lose" I told him, stepping away.

He stood up and put his swords back in his scabbard. Strangely, he was smiling. "Actually, you passed" he said

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll bite. Why are you smiling?"

"My challenge was a test. You might not want to tell me anything about you, but I definitely found out something"

I folded my arms and leaned against the wall. "And what might that be?" I asked

"You fight with honor" he said

I couldn't tell if he was going to laugh or not, but I suddenly felt really stupid. "Get off my turf" I said stubbornly

He jumped to the next roof without saying another word. I seriously felt really stupid. I shook my head and headed back in my apartment. I fixed myself in the bathroom before walking to the kitchen and making myself some breakfast. My mind began to wander about what happened last night. I wasn't thinking about the weird military compound I found, but what happened between Kelsey and me. I couldn't shake her hurt face out of my mind. She knew what I was; I just hope she didn't find out the rest of it. I wanted her back as my sister, but I didn't want to feel the guilt of turning her away from her parent. I was afraid after what happened last night; I might've pushed her away even farther and built this wall between us even higher. I had to find a way to mend all of this without causing her anymore pain. I had to fix this.

"What're you doing here?" she asked

"Kelsey, I know you feel betrayed after last night, but please can you just listen to me?"

She was quiet.

"Do you remember when you were starting middle school and how I helped you get ready and everything? Then we went to Diane's house and stayed there the whole afternoon. When we got home ten minutes late…dad exploded on me because I was in charge of both of us"

"I tried to back you up, but you insisted it was your fault only because you were the one in charge"

I smiled. "See you do remember!" I said, a little happily "Don't you want those days back? I mean, when we had each other's backs not the yelling—"

"Yeah, I know what you mean" she said

I sighed. "Can I come in?" I asked

She didn't say no, but she didn't say yes either. She moved to the side which I assumed was the 'go ahead'. I stepped inside and looked around her apartment. She had a small shelf by the window with different pictures on it.

"I like what you've done with the place" I said

"Thanks" she said shortly

I walked over to the shelf and picked up a picture. It was a younger picture of us when we went to Lake Tahoe. It was around late September that year. "Hey, I remember this!" I said "Do you remember when Mother and…Father planned a barbeque and we snuck away in the woods for about half an hour because we got lost and we saw that bear?"

"Yeah, I remember" she said, sitting down at her round table and pulled a cup of tea towards her.

"What happened to those days?" I asked

I notice her hand tighten around the cup.

"You met Eli" she said

I pursed my lips and put the picture down. I guess that was when we first starting drifting. "Oh" I said awkwardly "Well, I haven't seen him in a while"

A very long while.

_~Flashback~_

_I stood on the porch and waved bye until his car drove off. Once I lost sight of his car I headed back inside and locked the door behind me. My mother was standing there with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face._

_"What?" I asked_

_"Since when do you call me Mom and not Mama or Mother?" she asked_

_I pursed my lips. __"Well I didn't want to call you 'mama' in front him, Mama. It's a little childish" I admitted_

_My mother shook her head and laughed. __"Look at you! You're just tickled pink by him"_

_I felt my cheeks grow hot. My mother held my face in her hands._

_"I think he's a very sweet boy" she said_

_I felt my face grow hotter. __"Do you really think so?" I asked eagerly_

_She nodded. __"Yes, I do" she said_

_"I like him, but I don't think Dad did so much" I said_

_She pushed my dark hair behind my shoulders. __"It's a father thing, dear. Give him some time; he'll eventually grow out of it"_

_"Are you sure? Mama, you know once he makes a decision about something, he doesn't change his mind"_

~o-0-o~

"I liked Tyler better" she said,

Tyler was my first ex. He was an extremely sweet guy and all, but our relationship had been like a roller coaster; up and downs, break ups and makes ups, fights and apologies. It was never ending. I've had a relationship with a guy in between, but it was nothing official. I guess it was thanks to Tyler I met Eli. I sat down next to her on the table.

"Tyler was a great guy" I said "But I think Mama really liked Eli. Like I said, I haven't seen Eli in a really long time"

"More than two and a half years?" Kelsey guessed

"More or less" I said a little quietly

"I guess since you were gone you didn't hear that grandma and grandpa are—"

"I know" I told her "I know they died. I…I heard"

"You _heard_?" she asked "Mom?"

"I heard that too" I said

"Why didn't you come to grandma and grandpa's funeral?" she demanded

"Kelsey, I wanted to—"

"Yeah right, you hated them so much you couldn't even come to their funeral"

That's it. Kelsey had gone too far this time. I stood up abruptly. "Kelsey, that's not true! How can you even say something like that?!" I demanded "I wanted to come, sis. Believe me, I did!"

"Then why didn't you?" she shouted

"Something came up" I told her defensively

"Your ninja training" she stated

"No!" I objected

We were quiet. It seemed like the wall between us was building higher

"You ran away to become this…night freak!"

"That's not how it was. Look there are a lot of things your father—"

"Excuse me, _my_ father?" she asked "What's that supposed to mean? He's your dad too!" she pointed out

I folded my arms across my chest. It was so hard just to say "father", but saying "her father" was so much easier. Now I had to explain _this_ to her.

"Not anymore he's not" I said finally "Why should I love a man who didn't love me?"

"'Didn't love me'?" she quoted "You always were an attention whore"

My eyes widened in shock. "_Excuse me_?" I exhaled

"You always thought the world revolved around you. You didn't think you had enough of it so you decided to run away!"

I closed my eyes in frustration. "You think I ran away and chose to become a ninja just to have attention? Have you really become that _stupid_ since I left?"

"Oh of course, without you I'm just stupid!" she yelled sarcastically "You should've seen dad's face after you ran away"

"He must've had a really great poker face if he fooled you" I snapped

Kelsey glared at me. "Poker face? Give me a break, you just wanted dad to be miserable!"

"Miserable?" I demanded "You think I ran away to make him feel miserable? You think I ran away to make Mama miserable? You think I ran away to make _you_ miserable? I don't care if he was crying his eyes out or if they were all crocodile tears. He brought that on himself not me! Anyway, this isn't about dad, this is about us! I didn't know what caused us to drift apart, but now I know it happened when I starting going out with Eli"

"Oh grow up!" she spat

"That's exactly what was happening Kelsey! We were growing up. If I would have known that dating Tyler or Eli was going to make us drift apart I wouldn't have dated either in the first place! That's how much I love you, but even after Eli and I broke up; we still drifted!"

"This isn't about our personal lives either!" she snapped "You weren't there! You were never there when I needed someone to talk to, or when I needed advice, or help, or anything!"

I was in shock again. Was this what it was all about? She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "You know what Kelsey, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you started high school. I'm sorry I wasn't there to give you advice on your first kiss. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you pick out your homecoming dress. I'm sorry I wasn't there to give you advice. I'm sorry for all of it!"

"Too little too late" she answered angrily "And I don't believe for a second that you're sorry"

I was angry too. No matter how many times I wanted to explain. She just didn't want to listen to me. "I know I'm not Sister of the Year, but stop acting like a little brat Mother never raised you to be!"

"How would you know how Mom raised me? You were gone remember?" she said

"I was gone for a few years not a century. I didn't run away to become a ninja, I didn't have a choice"

Kelsey blinked before pursing her lips in a thin line as if she bit into a sour lemon. "You're not my sister" she said "My sister was the one who was always telling me that there's always a choice. She lived by that rule. Who the hell are you?"

I sighed deeply. "I didn't have a choice, not this time. This was one thing I couldn't walk away from. It's a part of me whether you want to believe it or not"

"You mean you didn't want to walk away from it" she said coldly "But you chose to walk out that door"

I shook my head. "I'm done" I told her "I'm done trying to explain to you. You've made it clear you don't want to believe or hear a word coming out of my mouth. Well, I'm done trying to tell you and I'm done being your doormat"

"Good" was all she said "Then don't plan on coming up here again"

"I won't" was the only thing I said and walked out the door to my apartment.

I stood out on the fire escape. I just needed to clear my head and get some fresh air. Honestly, I thought being out every night I would get all the fresh air I needed. I guess not. The chain of my necklace was dangling on my finger. I watched as it swayed side to side. I didn't care if her father was crying or not, it was a load of bull and I knew it. Pain? Misery? Neither Kelsey nor her father could ever imagine misery and pain the way I had and I knew what I was talking about. I blamed myself for what happened to the people I love, but I partially blamed her father too. If there were things he had done differently none of it would have happened. I probably never would have encounter Saki those few years ago.

Below me I saw Kelsey get in the driver's seat of a big black Hummer that I was sure her father got for her. I've never had a fight with Kelsey the way I did an hour ago. We've fought before, but never one like this. I was frustrated with myself and with her. I felt like I was stuck in a small box. Too small and crammed with no way out. Maybe once I destroy Saki then I'll tell her if she'll listen. I'll train faster and harder until I knew I could face him, but for now I had a different goal tonight. I had to get to the compound and find out who this Bishop was and what he's doing with an ancient diamond. I still had an hour or two.

I grabbed one of my old sweatpants, a worn out t-shirt, and a towel before placing them on the sink. I turned the shower faucet and waited for the water to turn hot before I stepped into the scalding water. I didn't do anything. I just stood underneath the shower head. There was something that was bothering me a lot more than the fight earlier. I pushed back my wet hair and massaged my scalp.

_You fight with honor._

I fight for justice. I don't know if that blue masked turtle test everyone he encounters, but I felt stupid like I had walked into a trap. Honor, schmonor. I fight for justice and to protect. That's what I was taught. Honor had nothing or little to do with it. I turned off the shower faucet and waved the warm steam out of my face. I dried myself off before changing into my clothes. I wiped the fog on the mirror before brushing my wet hair. There were dark locks hiding at the bottom. I had to get more hair dye later. I wrapped the towel in my hair before walking out. I glanced at the clock. An hour and a half left. This was probably a good time as ever to meditate. Clear my head and have a little peace of mind before I went out. I went to the living room and sat on the floor in front of the couch. It was probably best to do level one since it would cause less damage in my small apartment. I closed my eyes and relaxed myself.

_In, out…in, out…_

It was quiet. I tried to concentrate on something.

_In, out…in, out…_

I heard waves. Ocean waves. I was on a beach. The sand was warm between my toes. I could feel the sun on my back. There was the sound of water hitting rocks. Everything was peaceful. I was alone. All alone. Then I heard it. That evil laugh.

_Block it out._

_In, out…in, out…in, out…_

I focused on the beach. The sound of the waves was loud. They drowned out the laugh. The strong wind blew my hair around my face. It gave me goose bumps on my shoulders and blew my shirt in ripples. It rustled the tree leaves behind me. It was only a beach. There weren't any cars, boats, or mini shops. There were only trees behind me. I walked towards the water. It wasn't murky or polluted, it was clean and clear. The cold wet water greeted me with shallow waves. The sea foam disguised seaweed that tangled itself around my ankles. I didn't mind. I dug my feet in the wet sand and sat down. I didn't care if my clothes became wet and covered in sand. The blue and green water was calm around me. I hugged my knees and stared at the wide ocean. The water surrounded me as if I were a tiny island. This wasn't just any beach on any island. It was my mother's island. If I could rename it, that's what I would call it. Mother's Island.

My mind floated towards the thought of my mother. My sweet mother. How had she reacted after I had gone? Her image filled my mind. Her beautiful smile, her curly blonde hair, her blue eyes my sister and I inherited.

_Knock, knock, knock…_

I opened one of my eyes and snapped back into reality. I looked at the clock. An hour had gone by.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Who would be coming here? I ran to my closet and grabbed my sword.

_Knock…knock…KNOCK!_

"Coming!" I called

I pushed my still very wet hair away from my face and looked through the hole in the door. It was two policemen. I leaned my katana against the wall behind the door. I opened the door and the two policemen looked a bit surprised by my appearance.

"Can I help you officers?" I said

"Hello" said one of them "Is this the home of a Miss J. Copeland?"

"Gallagher, actually" I corrected

"Oh, is Miss. Gallagher home?"

I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the doorframe. "You're looking at her" I said

He blinked in surprise. "Oh" he said "I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to be so…"

"Young?" I finished

He looked at his partner before looking back at me. "Would you happen to have any relation to Kelsey Copeland? She's fifteen. Blonde hair, blue eyes?"

Now I was taken aback. What did they want with Kelsey? "Yes. I'm her sister. I saw her leave about two hours ago. Is she in trouble?" I asked

"We are well aware of that, miss. No, she's not in trouble…"

I was seriously starting to worry now. Why were they asking me about Kelsey? Where _was_ Kelsey?

"What's going on?" I asked warily

The two officers gave each other a look. One of them sighed and looked at me.

"There's been an accident" he said

**End of chapter 10.**

**Like I said, it was a little choppy but I'll try to make the next one better. Please review!**


	11. Sister Bonding

**Chapter 11: **

**Hellooo! Aww, sister bonding in this chapter! Short chapter, hope its ok. Read and Enjoy!**

**P.S: Ninja's name revealed NEXT chapter!**

~o-0-o~

"…officers said that my sister Kelsey was rushed to the ER about an hour ago?"

"Oh yes, right through there" the nurse pointed down the hall

"Thank you" I said quickly before half running down there.

My messy and wet bun bounced against the back of my neck. I had a huge wet spot on the back of my shirt too because of my wet hair. I had grabbed my purse and thrown on a pair of flip flops. I ignored the looks other visitors gave me as I ran past them. Without even knocking I rushed inside. Kelsey was lying on the hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around her head. I couldn't tell if she was asleep or unconscious. Her hair was in waves over her shoulders. A nurse was standing over her. She looked at me.

"Are you a family member?" she asked

"Yes. She's my sister" I said

"She was hit by a drunk driver. A good samaritan happened to be passing by and pulled her out of the damaged car. Luckily, she didn't sustain any serious injuries"

"Any concussions? Internal bleeding? Any kind of head trauma?" I asked anxiously, looking at the bandage around her head

"_Internal_ bleeding? No. She only suffered a cut on her head, but it was stitched about twenty minutes ago. She's sedated"

Stitches? Oh god, Kelsey hated needles. I wondered if she had been scared.

"She was very lucky to have someone pull her out of that car or her injuries could have been fatal"

"Do you think I could have some time alone with her?" I asked

She nodded once before leaving the room. I pulled a chair next to her bed and stroked her hair.

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I?" I said softly, brushing back her hair.

I didn't know if she could hear me. I hope she did. Next to her was a bouquet of orange flowers and a card. I heard someone enter behind me, but I didn't take my eyes off Kelsey.

"Miss, visiting hours are over" he said

"I'm not going anywhere" I told him

"I must insist. You can come and visit her tomorrow"

"I'm staying" I said shortly

"Miss, I don't want to be forced to call security"

"Doctor, I know you mean well, but I'm not leaving my sister's side. You can call security and they can threaten to drag me out of here, I still won't leave"

He seemed surprised by what I had just said. Someone could hold a gun to my head, I wasn't going to leave. I heard the doctor sigh.

"I'll see if we can work something out" he said, before walking out

I threw my legs over one of the chair's arms and rested my head against the other. I decided to put off my mission for tonight; Kelsey was my main priority right now. I'll go back to night duty when she was better. Eventually my eyes grew heavy and my eyelids fell over them.

*Next Morning*

~Kelsey~

I opened my eyes and let out a long yawn. My head throbbed. My fingers brushed against the bandage on my forehead. It took me a while to remember where I was. I looked around the room. A nurse was standing next to my bed and holding a tray of breakfast. _Great, hospital food_ I thought sarcastically. I picked up the card that was next to the bouquet of flowers.

_I heard what happened. Hope everything is well and will see you as soon as I can. Stay strong, baby girl. Love, Dad_

In the corner of the room, I saw my sister sleeping on a chair with a sweatshirt over her.

"What is she doing here?" I demanded quietly

"She came here yesterday. She was worried about you"

"I don't want her here. Get her out of here" I said

The nurse blinked in surprise and a doctor walked through the door.

"Hello Kelsey, I'm glad to see that you're awake"

"Make her leave" I told the nurse.

The nurse gave me a look and walked over to the chair. The doctor was too busy taking notes on a clipboard.

"Your sister was here all last night worried sick about you" the doctor said, his nose still in his clipboard.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're kidding" I said

He looked up.

"No, I'm not. She got here faster than an ambulance would. She's been here all night"

I didn't know if I should believe what he was telling me. She had been here all night when she should've been out being the night cop that she was.

"_All_ night?" I clarified

"Yes, she didn't step out of your room, not once" he said

_Not once?_ I thought. I looked back at her, where the nurse was trying to wake her.

"Wait" I said quickly

The nurse looked up.

"Don't wake her. She can stay" I said

The nurse nodded once and walked out the room.

"Can I have some privacy?" I asked the doctor

He nodded and walked out the door behind the nurse. I looked back at my sister. I didn't understand why she was here. After all I said to her, she was still here. She came here not long after we had our fight. All those years she had been gone, I wanted her to come back and here she was. I felt guilty for being a bitch to her. I was scared if she walked back in my life she would walk right out again without a second thought. I didn't get why she left. I had a million questions about that. What all of a sudden one day made my big sister hate me, mom, and dad so much that she walked out? Could I bury the hatchet and start new with her without asking why she left? My head was spinning with too many questions. Right now, I couldn't believe she had been so worried about me that she didn't leave my room once. Maybe she wasn't lying when she said she really missed me. _Then why did she leave?_ I thought. I threw all my questions aside. Maybe I could bury the hatchet right now; I just hoped my pride didn't get in the way. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I missed her too. I grabbed the napkin in the breakfast tray and scrunched it into a ball before throwing it at her. She blinked and looked around her before sitting up and looking at me.

"Hi" she said

"Hey" I said back

There was an awkward silence. I looked towards the window.

"Great weather" I said

She gave me a small smile before standing up and walking to my bedside.

"Look Kelsey, I don't want to fight" she said

I sat up and held the tray on my lap.

"I don't either" I said "I just want to ask you one thing"

She knelt down next to my bed.

"What?" she asked

"Why did you stay by this whining brat's side after everything she said to you yesterday?"

"I never said whining" she pointed out

"Fine. Just brat then" I said

"Like I said Kelsey, I don't want to fight and I'm sorry we had one yesterday"

"I am too, but that doesn't answer my question. After everything I said to you, why are you by my side?" I asked

My sister sighed.

"I know we haven't been getting along since I came here, but I realized in the long run you're still my sister" she said

I smiled at her.

"Do you think we can talk without having a fight?" she asked

I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's possible" I said

She looked down at her hands. Something was really bothering her.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked me

"Sure" I said, curious to know what was bothering her

"After I left. Did Mama…did Mama still love me?" she asked "Did she…still care?"

The question took me by surprise.

"I…I don't really know sis. I mean, after you left they hardly talked about you. Mom hardly came out of her room. When she passed away…" I said

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when it happened" she said

I didn't know what to say. She asked a lot of questions about Mom, but she didn't ask one about Dad.

"What's your beef with Dad?" I asked finally

She blinked in surprise.

"What?" she asked

"What's your beef with Dad?" I repeated "You're not asking about Dad. What happened between you two?"

She pursed her lips and I could tell there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Something bad. Something really bad" she said "It's not easy to talk about"

I was quiet.

"Did you two have a fight or something before you left?" I asked

"Can we drop this subject?" she asked coolly

I decided to drop it. I didn't want to end up fighting again.

"Can I only ask you one favor on the subject?" she asked

"What favor?" I asked

"Don't tell Dad I'm here. He can't know I'm here in New York"

"Why?" I asked

"Just please don't tell him. _Please_?" she asked

She looked at me hopefully. Sometimes when I looked at her, I saw Mom.

"Okay, I won't" I said finally

"Thanks" she said

~o-0-o~

"Thanks" I said

Kelsey shrugged her shoulders. I smiled.

"You look a lot like Mother" I said truthfully

"Me? I think you look more like her" Kelsey said

I ran a hand on the top of my head.

"I think it's the hair. Mama was blonde like you, remember?" I pointed out

"Why did you change your hair?" she asked curiously

"I think I was ready for a new look" I lied

I hated lying to her. The only reason I changed my hair was so certain enemies wouldn't recognize me. I knew Kelsey liked my dark natural hair better. She looked like she was about to laugh.

"Speaking of new look, I think I found a bird's nest on top of your head" she joked

Both my hands flew to my head. I knew my dirty blonde hair was in tangles and strands were around my face.

"Hey, the only reason I look like this is because I was rushing over here to make sure you were okay" I said

"No I like it, it's a good look for you" she laughed "But nothing beats your hairdo in second grade"

"Oh, shut up!" I said, but couldn't help but laugh.

In second grade, I had wanted bangs really badly for picture day so I tried doing it myself. Obviously, it didn't turn out the way I wanted and ended up having long hair on one side and short on the other. When I tried to even it out, the other side looked longer. My hair ended up being so short it didn't go past my chin. Kelsey had teased about that since. A hand flew to her head.

"Ow, don't make me laugh so much. You'll undo my stitches" she said

"Were you okay when they brought you in here? I mean, I know you hate needles"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, when I was like eight. Besides, I didn't feel anything"

"Oh, please! You practically demanded a lollipop after every shot" I said

"You demanded a shot just so you could get a lollipop!" she pointed out

"That was one time! _And_ it was a flu shot _and_ I was seven!" I objected

We started to laugh again.

"Good times, huh?" Kelsey said

I nodded in agreement.

"Well, enough talk from me. _You_ have to eat" I said

Kelsey looked down at her food.

"Hospital food. Yuck" she said

I put a hand on her shoulder.

"I feel for you sis" I said to her, before standing up "Think I'll go grab a granola bar from the vending machine. You want one?" I asked

"Please?" she asked hopefully "Anything is better than this" she added looking down at her plate.

I grabbed my wallet out of my purse and walked towards the door.

"You know what's weird?" she said

"What?" I asked

"I must've been really out of it when I got in that crash because I could've sworn the guy that pulled me out looked like a giant turtle"

**End of Chapter 11.**

**Chapter 12 in progress! NINJA'S NAME REVEALED NEXT CHAPTER! Please review!**


	12. Bending Rule One

**Chapter 12: Happy New Year! Okay, I know most of you are DYING to know the "she-ninja's" name so I tried finishing this chapter as soon as I could. Thanks to crystalsocks, Mikey3lover, and FanO'theNinja121 for reviewing! Here's chapter 12. Read and find out her NAME! Enjoyyyy! **

~o-0-o~

I stopped by the door. I swear I couldn't have heard right.

"He what…?" I asked

"He looked like a giant turtle" she repeated

I didn't look at her. "That's…weird. What did the turtle look like?" I asked, trying to sound like I meant it as a joke. I hoped Kelsey wasn't suspicious.

"What do you mean?" she asked "He looked like a giant turtle"

"I mean there wasn't anything off about it?"

Kelsey sighed. "Well, he had something blue on his face, if that means anything"

Blue. So it was the blue masked turtle that pulled Kelsey out of the car.

"That's…that's funny, Kelsey. Real funny…" I said, trying to sound casual. I don't think I succeeded.

"I can't believe I was that out of it!" she laughed

I laughed with her before I walked towards the vending machines. The good samaritan was a _turtle_? It was the blue masked reptile that saved my sister?! The same one that challenged me to a fight yesterday morning? I threw four quarters in the coin slot. What was he trying to do? Did he know who I was? Was he _really_ just trying to be a good samaritan? Why would he challenge me and then save Kelsey the same day? Coincidence? He couldn't be working for my enemy, or else he would've probably killed me by now. I didn't like the thought of him possibly knowing who I was. If he pulled Kelsey out of the car, _someone_ should've seen him. No one who saw a car crash would just walk away from it as if it didn't matter. I grabbed the two granola bars before heading back to Kelsey's room.

"Hey, so did you see anyone else when you were pulled out of the car?" I asked casually "Were there any witnesses or anything?"

"Actually, once that guy pulled me out of the wreck I sort of blacked out. Why do you ask?"

She didn't look suspicious. I shrugged my shoulders. "I just wanted to know how many people I have to send a thank you card to" I joked lightly

She smiled as she put her oatmeal aside and removed the granola bar's wrapper.

"Listen, I have to get to work. Will you be okay?" I asked

She nodded. "Yeah, Dad's actually coming by later to take me home. He's the one that sent me the card and flowers"

I felt like my insides were being twisted. Kelsey had gotten into a car accident and all he did was send flowers with a card? He didn't even bring them himself. _Some "father"_ I thought angrily. Kelsey must've known what I was thinking because she suddenly said

"He's really busy with work and all" she added

"Kelsey, that's no excuse" I said coolly "For god's sake, you were in a car accident, you didn't get sick with the flu" I added, pointing at the flowers

"It's not just that" she said "He's taking care of Denise too"

"Denise? Our cousin Denise?" I asked

"Duh" Kelsey said.

"Right, stupid question" I said "What happened to Aunt Nora?"

It was actually thanks to Aunt Nora that our Mother and "Kelsey's father" met. I've never met a more supportive woman in my entire life. I absolutely loved her to death. Her husband had died from cancer when Denise was only two. Aunt Nora stayed strong for the sake of her daughter. I hadn't heard from her since I left. Kelsey sighed.

"You probably know Aunt Nora didn't take it so well when Mom died"

"How can I _not_ know? They were best friends" I said

"Right, well, it was raining one day and Aunt Nora went for a drive. I guess she lost control and her car went off the bridge"

I felt like my heart turned to stone and dropped in my stomach. My hand flew to my mouth. "Aunt Nora's dead?" I said in disbelief. I couldn't believe it. "Was Denise in the car?" I asked

Kelsey shook her head. "No. She was at home with the babysitter. Aunt Nora appointed Dad as Denise's guardian" Kelsey said, sitting up

"Does Denise know what happened?"

"She knows what happened, but she doesn't understand" Kelsey replied "She's little, you know"

I nodded "Yeah, I know. Does she ask about Aunt Nora?"

"Not so much now" she told me "On a happy note, she remembers you" she added

I looked up. I felt my current mood lift a little. "She does?" I asked brightly "How old is she now? Five?"

"Six" Kelsey corrected "I think she'd be happy to see you. You know, maybe when I'm babysitting her you could come over"

"That'd be great" I agreed. I looked back at the clock. "I have to go or I'll be late" I said, and put my granola bar on the side of her tray. I wasn't that hungry anymore.

I said goodbye before heading out. I began to think about the "good samaritian" that saved Kelsey; I had to have a little word with him tonight. For once I actually hoped Surfer Boy was right when he said that running into each other was a recurring thing.

"You're early" Ryan said

"No offense Ryan, but your surprised tone is actually offending. I'm not always late" I said

"You're just a little _too_ early is what I meant" he clarified

"Well, I couldn't exactly go home and change, then I'd be late" I said, pulling my hair back in a messy ponytail. I was still in my sweatpants and old shirt.

"What do you mean you couldn't go home?" he asked

"Sounds like she was jumped in an alley again" Lauren said scornfully

I glared at her. Honestly, I didn't like Lauren. She was such a fake. I knew it wasn't her idea to invite me to the movies that one night.

"I was at the hospital" I said shortly

He raised both eyebrows. "Hospital? Is everything alright?" he asked

"Yeah, everything's fine" I said. He didn't know I had a sister. I hardly talked about my family to anyone unless I really trusted them, like Diane. "I went to get my hand checked, just in case" I said, holding up my right hand. The cut was only a thin red line now. "Everything's fine" I assured

Ryan looked at me suspiciously before walking away. Lauren was counting money in the cash register. I grabbed a broom when a voice behind me said

"And what happened to your hand anyway?" he asked

I stopped moving. My necklace was hanging out of my shirt and visible to everyone who saw it. Dave was standing behind me. _Why can I never catch a break from this guy?_ I didn't turn around. How can I lie to him without Lauren opening her big mouth?

"I fell" I said shortly, eyeing Lauren who wasn't paying any attention. Hopefully, it stayed that way.

"You fell?" he stated "You fell on what?"

_Oh god, please leave me alone _I thought. I subtly rubbed my neck and quickly tucked my necklace inside my shirt. I turned around and looked at him casually. "I fell and cut my hand on a sharp rock" I said shortly, putting my hand in my pocket. "I'm a little klutzy" I said in a whisper so only he could hear me.

He raised an eyebrow as if he was wondering why I was whispering. "You never came to the party" he said disappointingly

"Something came up" I said plainly

"That's okay; we have another one coming up soon. How about I meet you then?"

This guy wouldn't give up. I fought the urge to kick him in the face or even hit him over the head with the broom I was holding. "How about I surprise you?" I suggested boringly. I just wanted him to leave me alone.

He laughed. "You know what I like" he stated, before blowing me a kiss and walking out.

Lauren gave me a look. I ignored her and began to broom the shop.

*Evening*

~Turtles~

"Come on Mikey, let's go!" Leo called

"Aw, come on Leo. I just started reading a new comic book" he whined

"You can finish it when we come back, right now we have to go and practice" he said

Mikey groaned. "Party pooper" he muttered under his breath.

"Raph, come on!" Leo called

"Alright, alright. Keep your shell on would ya?" he said, coming out of his room and cracking his neck.

Don was already standing next to him. They began to walk out of the lair. Leo looked over his shoulder to see Mikey trying to sneak back in his room. Raph folded his arms across his chest.

"Mikey!" Raph snapped

He flinched and looked at his three brothers sheepishly. Raph grabbed him by his mask and pulled him along with them. They left the lair and climbed up the first manhole they saw.

"Remember guys, the purpose of this exercise is to practice the way of invisibility" Leo said, running in the shadows and his brothers followed.

They jumped up roofs and jumped in any shadow that concealed them.

"Or a better word for it would be Ninja Hide-and-Seek!" Mikey said, hanging from a nearby streetlight.

"Leo, you're up first" Don said

Leo gave his brothers thirty seconds to conceal themselves. He found Don hiding on a roof two buildings over.

"Too easy, Don" he said

Raph was hiding in a dark corner of an alley.

"Too obvious, Raph" Leo told him

Raph scowled at him.

"So that just leaves Mikey" Leo said

Don frowned. "That's weird. Mikey's usually the worst at this game" he said

"He is, brainiac" Raph said, pointing above his head

Both of them looked up to see Mikey sitting cross-legged on a fire escape reading a comic book. The three of them climbed up and stared at their youngest brother. Mikey looked up and smiled sheepishly.

"Did I win?" he asked

Leo was about to open his mouth when an arrow flew past him and landed by Mikey's foot. Mikey clutched Don's leg and let out a high pitched scream.

"Whoa, air mail!" Mikey exclaimed

Raph shook his head and opened the envelope that was attached to the arrow "Uh, Leo? I think this is for you" he said, handing him the piece of paper.

Leo took the note from Raphael and read it out loud. "_'We need to talk. Meet me at the address written below and leave your katana behind if you wish. I need to speak with you and only you. So come alone_'" He read "Well, that's not something you read everyday"

Mikey looked at the note. "Since when is Leo invited to a party and not us?" he said

Don took the note from Mikey and read it. "There's no name signed on it. Do you know who it is?" he asked

Raph picked up the arrow in front of Mikey's feet. "This arrow look familiar to you, Don?" he asked rhetorically

Donatello raised both his eyebrows. "That…ninja girl?" he said skeptically "What would she want with you, Leo?"

"I don't know. There's one way to find out" he said, looking down at the address "This place isn't that far from April's antique shop. Let's hit the roofs"

The four turtles jumped towards the top and headed towards the given location.

"There it is" Don said quietly

"It's an apartment building" Raph said "Why would she want ta meet you here?"

Leo remembered seeing her there during his morning training, but the roof was completely deserted. They stayed hunched behind the ledge of the building next to it. The four of them waited for about twenty minutes. Nothing.

"Nothing's happening" Mikey whined "Can we just call it a night and go home?"

"Not yet" Leo said, looking over his shoulder and around him.

He scanned his surroundings, but he couldn't see the "ninja girl" anywhere. "Maybe she knows I'm here and she's just waiting for me. I'm going on that roof" he said. Leo took both of his swords out of his scabbard and handed them to Don. "Hold onto these" he said

Don stared at him in disbelief. "Uh, Leo…?" he said uncertainly

"Are you sure 'bout this?" Raph said

Leo stepped on the ledge and looked at his brothers. "She said she just wanted to talk" he pointed out

"I don't know, Leo. My turtles senses are tingling all over me" Mikey said "Besides, the note says '_leave your katana behind if you wish_'. Hm…sounds like a threat if you ask me"

Leo didn't understand how that sounded like a threat.

"Don't tell me you actually trust her enough ta approach her without your weapons?" Raph asked in disbelief

"In all honesty, I don't" Leo replied "But if she fights with honor the way I think she does, then she won't fight a weaponless opponent"

Then he remembered something she said. _A skilled ninja is a ninja with no weapon._ Maybe there was a possibility she _would_ fight him.

"Maybe we should go with you" Don suggested

"No" Leo said "If I need backup wait for my signal"

"Be careful, she doesn't trust anyone, remember?" Don reminded.

Leo nodded once before lunging towards the other roof. He half expected her to jump out at him the minute he stepped on there, but nothing happened. It was quiet. Too quiet. "Well?" he said loudly "I'm here. You wanted to talk?"

Quiet. He waited for about a minute.

"Show yourself" he said

"No need to shout" said her voice from the shadow

He turned around to see her step away with her sword in her hand. Now he began to have second thoughts about leaving his own behind.

~o-0-o~

I waited there for a while. My mask safely concealed my face except for my eyes. The wind blew my hair to the side. I was sure Kelsey was safely in her apartment below me by now. I leaned against the wall with my arms across my chest. My katana balanced in my left hand. I know they were here. I knew they were hiding. I could practically sense them on the building to my right. I didn't show myself. All of a sudden Blue Mask jumped on the roof. I didn't even flinch. I was surprised he showed up. I was especially surprised that he came alone, like I had asked.

"Well?" he shouted "I'm here. You wanted to talk?"

I didn't answer and didn't move. I waited so I could give him a chance to walk away if he decided. He didn't.

"Show yourself" he said

I stepped away from the wall. "No need to shout" I told him

He turned around and tensed when he saw my sword. I didn't do anything.

"What do you want?" he asked

I folded my arms across my chest again. "An answer to a question" I said simply.

He waited. I knew his brothers weren't too far. They were probably waiting in case I attacked.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What?" he asked, as if he didn't hear me the first time

"Do you know who I am?" I repeated

He looked like he was about to laugh. "Someone high and mighty?" he guessed

I began to spin my sword in my hand. "It wasn't a rhetorical question" I said "I'm serious. Do you know who I am?" I asked for the third time.

"No" he finally answered

I was quiet for a while. I was debating on where or not I should believe him. I guess I did. "Then I guess you don't know the girl you saved from the car accident last night either" I said "It was you wasn't it"

He blinked in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

I didn't answer him. "You already interrogated me yesterday. It's my turn to ask the questions" I told him coolly

He folded his arms across his chest. "Fine. Go ahead" he told me

He casually leaned against the ledge and waited.

"You don't know me" I told him "You don't know whether I'm an enemy or an ally"

He did a small shrug. "You're right, I don't" he replied

I lowered my katana to my side. He was a lot calmer than I thought he would be. "Then why did you save me? You could've let me die in that parking lot. You could've killed me yourself. You or your friends…or brothers" I said correcting myself. I remembered Surfer Boy saying that the night I told them to stay out of my way. (Mikey was his name?)

"You saved me and helped me get better. Why did you do that?" I asked

"You know a simple thanks would be nice" he suggested

I raised my blade halfway. He didn't flinch.

"I think I'm looking for a more appropriate answer" I said coolly

"You think just because we were taught differently we are different, but the truth is we're more alike than you think"

It was true. They weren't taught what I was taught. His master sounded a lot wiser and older than mine. Maybe if they were taught by my master, trusting them wouldn't be so much a problem.

"Is that a fact?" I asked a little rhetorically

He nodded. "You had an opportunity to kill me too, but you didn't"

"So this was just you returning the favor?"

"No" he answered "We both fight fairly and with honor. You didn't kill me because I was unarmed and defenseless"

I turned away from him. "Yeah, well, maybe I just owed you one" I said

I said that a little more harshly than I intended. I think I knew he wasn't an enemy. I ran a finger over my locket. After all that's happened, I was just cautious with everyone I met. I felt like it was okay to trust him. They didn't seem like bad people…or turtles. How would my master feel about everything that's going through my head right now? One thing was for sure. I knew he wouldn't like it. I leaned against the wall and turned back to him.

"You know that girl I pulled out of the car don't you?" he stated

I didn't say anything. "I'm not saying I'm not grateful for what you did, but why did you pull her out of the car?" I asked

"I saw a person in need of help" he answered simply "I'd do it all over again if I had to. Wouldn't you?"

Obviously, I would. He just didn't know the girl he rescued happened to be my sister. "Without a second thought" I answered

"Same" he said

I bit my bottom lip. So he didn't know who I was or who Kelsey was; he was just there to help someone in need.

"That girl you saved from the car was my sister" I said slowly

I noticed him raise his eyebrows halfway as if he didn't believe what I just told him. "I would've sent you a thank you card, but I couldn't find one that said 'Thanks for Saving My Sister from a Car Wreck'" I said figuratively

The edge of his mouth twitched as if he was about to laugh. "I know you said that you can't trust anyone because that's what you were taught, but you should know that you _can_ trust us. I can tell you don't want to be the enemy and neither do we" he said as he approached me.

I didn't raise my katana this time. I was quiet for a little bit. They saved my life twice. Should that be a good enough reason for me to trust them? I stood in front of him. He was maybe an inch or two taller than me. Like I've said before, there were a lot of things I questioned about what my master was teaching me. Never trusting anyone was one of the strictest of his rules. He would be angry if I violated that one most of all. It wasn't like these turtles were looking for any of my personal information, they asked for an alliance. My master would kill me for what I was about to do. I put my sword down and pulled my mask down to my chin to expose my face. The turtle seemed surprised with what I did. If I was going to trust them, that meant they had to know who I am.

"I hope I'm not making a mistake in trusting you" I replied

"You _can_ trust me. Me and my brothers" he assured

Of course if I was going to trust him that meant I was going to trust his brothers. He might not have gained my trust for saving me, but he gained it when he pulled my sister out of that car. He passed _my_ test.

"Congratulations. You passed my test"

He looked at me suspiciously. "What test would that be?" he asked

"You saved my sister" I stated " You've earned my trust for that"

For some reason, I wasn't bothered by showing my face to him. He didn't seem bothered by it either. I didn't expect him to take his off.

"Allies?" he asked

"Yes" I replied back

He held out his green three fingered hand. "Leonardo" he said

I took his hand and shook it.

"Jade" I told him "Thank you for saving my sister, Leonardo" I added

"I'm glad she's okay. You can call me Leo" he said

I put my hands on my hips. He seemed pretty okay. "Okay, Leo" I said

"Is there anything specific you'd like me to call you?" he asked

I laughed a little. "I think my name is already short enough as it is" I pointed out "By the way, I think you can tell your brothers they can come out of hiding" I added, jerking my thumb to the building to my right

"Oh, right!" he said. Leo turned and waved his arm. I saw three heads appear behind the ledge. "Guys, its okay" he said loudly enough for only them to hear.

Brooklyn, Surfer Boy, and Purple Mask jumped on the roof we were on.

"Fancy seeing you again!" said Surfer Boy in a British accent

"Is he always like that?" I asked Leo

"It's worse than you think" Brooklyn said, twirling a sai in one hand.

"Hey!" he retorted

"Jade, you obviously know my brothers" Leo said

"Maybe except names" I told him

The one with the purple mask and bow staff stepped forward. "I'm Donatello" he said "I usually go by Don or Donny"

"Don or Donny. Got it" I said

Brooklyn twirled both his sais in his hands before securing them back in his belt and folding his arms across his chest. "Name's Raph. I'm the guy you tried to whack with the pipe, so I'd be extra nice to me if I were you" he said

"You're going to have to excuse him. He's a hothead" Leo told me a little quietly

"So I see" I replied "I'm gonna guess your name's Raphael" I added

I remembered the rat say his name once or twice. He grunted. Surfer Boy stepped in front of me and did a small bow.

"And I'm—"

"Mikey" I finished "I remember you"

He seemed really proud of what I just said. "She remembers me" he said proudly

I wondered if he was always this giddy. Mikey could be short a couple of names. "So what's your name short for?" I asked

"Nitwit" Raphael responded

"It's Michelangelo" Leo told me

"Obviously, our names are a bit of a mouthful" Don told me

"Yeah, I kind of figured that" I said, "I'm Jade" I told the three of them.

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Jade? You mean as in 'green'?"

"Maybe…?" I said, confused

"Huh. I'm starting ta like you better already" he said

Mikey came and put his arm around my neck. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship" he said happily

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, tough guy" I said, poking him on his chest

Raphael came and whacked him on his head, which kind of surprised me.

"Ow!" he said as he moved away

"You're gonna have to excuse Mikey too" Don said apologetically "He has an affect on making people feel…"

"Awkward?" I guessed

Donny shrugged. "Something like that" he replied

I know I had just met Mikey, but he seemed like a pretty okay guy like Leo and Don. I think Raphael was the one I was going to have to watch out for. He didn't seem like a bad guy either, but I could tell he had a temper. (I did too when it came to certain things)

"I'm glad you recognized us as turtles" Donny said to me

I raised an eyebrow. "It's not that hard to guess" I said

"Actually, you'd be surprised what we've been mistaken for. Frogs, bugs…"

"Funny. I would've thought the shell would give it away" I said, patting the back of his "I only have one question to ask you guys if that's okay? And I don't mean to offend any of you when I ask this…"

"Ask away" Don told me.

"Okay…what's with the masks?" I asked, a little uncertainly

"Uh, duh, we're ninjas?" Mikey pointed out unnecessarily "We have to hide our faces the same way you do"

"You guys are four talking mutant turtles that walk on two feet. What are you trying to hide?"

"Hey, even we have to protect our good looks" Raph said to me

I guess it was kind of a pointless question to ask.

"Well, it's late" Leo said "We have to get back home"

"Aw" Mikey groaned

"Actually, I have to get going too. Glad we're on good terms" I added

"I think it's a lot better for us" Don said

Leo nodded his head in agreement. "We'll see you around" he said

Don waved goodbye before following him. Raph gave me a mini nod before heading down. Mikey winked and made a couple clicking noises before heading down.

"Whoo-hoo!" he exclaimed as he jumped down

I rolled my eyes and climbed down the fire escape to my apartment

**End of Chapter 12:**

**I hope the conversation between her and Leo wasn't too choppy. So what do you guys think? Please review!**


	13. A New Experiment

**Chapter 13: You're reviews will be my motivation to write more! Special thanks to FanO'theNinja121, Mikey3lover, and Solar StormFlare for reviewing! Hope you guys like my story so far (You finally know her name!)! I don't have much else to say so here's chapter 13 and as always...**

**Enjoy! **

~Jade~

"Ick" I muttered as I ran my fingers underneath my eyes.

"You're right, you look tired" Whitney said, she baked all the muffins and everything for the shop.

I was in the ladies' room at work. I didn't sleep so well last night. I had that disturbing dream about that poor man again (**refer back to chapter 6**). I woke up in the middle of the night with the same adrenaline rush as if I was falling endlessly. Meditation helped for a little bit, but the dream eventually came back. Whitney came to the sink next to me and washed her hands.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked her

"No, but you're not as focused as you usually are when you're here" she pointed out, scrunching her short red curls

"I wash dishes, Whitney. What do I have to focus on?"

"I just mean you always look like you have something on your mind"

I turned the cold water tap as far as it would go before splashing my face. It was soothing. "What makes you think that?" I asked before splashing my face one more time.

"You're usually quiet" she answered, handing me a paper towel.

I took it and dried my face. "It's been a lot quieter in the kitchen since you were gone. Glad you're back" I said "How was California?"

"Sunny. Really sunny. The beaches were nice though" she said, opening the door. "Coming, Jade?" she asked

"Yeah, just give me a minute" I pushed back strands of my hair and retied the bottom of my braid. I followed Whitney back to the kitchen. I headed towards the sink and she pulled the fresh croissants out of the oven.

"Hey, are your hands dry?" she asked

"One of them is" I said

She wrapped one of the hot croissants threw it towards me and I caught it single-handedly. Whitney looked at me impressively.

"Nice moves. Where'd you learn that?"

"Softball" I lied. It was really my ninja skills. I tore off a piece of the hot bread and threw it in my mouth. Whitney took one out for her and put the rest with the other batch.

"So what're you doing tonight?" she asked

I threw another piece of bread in my mouth. "A lot" I told her shortly

Kelsey was fine now and tonight I was back on track to finding out who this Bishop was. I was going back to the compound tonight. What kind of tests were they doing on animals and other people? What did E.P.F stand for? What did this Bishop want with an old diamond?

"You're doing it again" Whitney said

"Doing what?" I asked, putting a dry plate aside.

"You're mind's somewhere else" she said

I sighed as I rinsed another dish. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately" I told her

"Maybe that's why you're not getting enough sleep" she said

"Maybe" I said absentmindedly

~Splinter~

"My sons you had come later than usual from your training last night"

"We're sorry Master Splinter" Leonardo said "It won't happen again"

Michelangelo leaped over his eldest brother and came in front of me.

"Sensei, we've made a new friend!" he said happily

I eyed him strangely.

"Do you remember that ninja we found last week and how she tried to kick our shells?" he said, throwing random punches in the air. "Well, we're cool now!"

"It's true Master Splinter. She's an ally" Leonardo explained

"An ally?" I asked interestingly

"Yes. It's a long story" he said

"So when can we invite her over?" Michelangelo asked excitedly

"I don't think we should be expecting her to come over for dinner anytime soon, Mikey. It's gonna take time before she _fully_ trusts us; right now, she only trusts us enough to fight alongside us" Donatello told him

"What are you thinking, Master Splinter?" Leonardo asked

I was in deep concentration. "What was it she said to you?" I asked

"She said a lot of things, sensei. In the end, she agreed to be on good terms with us"

She was an ally, but that didn't prevent me from still being cautious. I was relieved to know she was an ally. That meant her heart was in the right place. What I still didn't understand was why she fought like the Shredder. The door of our lair opened as I walked inside my dojo. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Casey Jones enter.

~Turtles~

"Goongala!" Casey Jones shouted as he entered the lair with his hockey stick. He lunged towards Raphael, waving his hockey stick, but Raph blocked it with his sai and kicked Casey's feet out from under him.

"Wow, and I thought you would've known better than ta sneak up on a ninja" Raph said

"Hey, I was close wasn't I?" Casey objected

Raph helped him stand up. Casey looked past his head.

"Hey, cool sword!" Casey commented "Looks just like the one in that one graffiti"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it is…" Don said hesitantly as Casey walked over to it.

Casey reached for the hilt of the sword.

"Casey, don't!" Don shouted, but it was too late. Casey had touched the hilt of the sword and was thrown backwards into a book shelf as soon as his hand touched it

"Whoa! What the hell was dat?" he asked

"It's a long story" Don explained

Raph filled him in on everything that happened during the blackout. He left out the part about the "ninja girl". Casey didn't seem to notice that she wasn't here.

"Sounds like I missed all the action" he said. Casey looked at the screen of Splinter's dojo.

"What's with your old man?"

"Don't know" Raph responded "He's been acting weird for the past couple days" Raph turned his attention back to Casey "You obviously didn't come down here to try and beat my shell. What's up?" he asked

"Purple Dragons" he said

"What is it this time?" Don asked, coming next to his brother.

"From what I heard they're looking for new members. They're planning some kind of robbery tomorrow night" he said

"Well what're we waiting for? Let's stop 'em!" Raph said

"Hang on Raph. We don't even know where this robbery's gonna happen" Leo pointed out "Do you know where they're planning to do it?" he asked Casey

"No, but I'm sure I can find out"

"Find out where they're planning this robbery then get back to us. I'm sure the battle shell can probably track them down" Don said

"You got it" Casey said.

~Jade~

*That evening*

_That nap was exactly what I needed_ I thought to myself as I stared at the compound. I was standing in a tree once again. This time I only brought my sword. I wasn't too far from it. The power source for the electrical fence had been repaired. The fence crackled as if it had never been damaged. This time I had to get past it without drawing _any_ attention. I heard the distance humming of an engine. An armored car was coming up the path.

"Okay" I muttered under my breath as I concentrated on the approaching car.

I waited for the car to come close to the tree before jumping on top of it. I didn't land as lightly as I expected. Jumping on top of a moving vehicle wasn't exactly easy. I grabbed the bottom of a satellite that was on top of the car so I wouldn't fall off. The car stopped for a minute in front of the gate until it opened. The fence made a creaking noise as it opened and the car pulled inside. I was in. I laid down flat on top as I heard chatter coming from a bunch of guards. I peered over the edge to see what was going on. Multiple guards were carrying crates inside the compound. I waited until there was only one left standing in front of the car. I quietly stood up and jumped behind him. I put a hand over his mouth and pressed down on a pressure point. He groaned once before falling in the dirt. I grabbed one of his arms and dragged him over to the high security door. It wasn't easy. This guy was heavy! I took off one of his gloves and pressed his thumb to small screen next to the door. It hissed and opened. I tried to quickly pull the guard to the shadows where no one would see him before running inside. The halls were quiet. There weren't any guards around which made me suspicious. There was an open door ahead and I heard a faint ringing noise coming out of it. I could see the faint blue glow of the diamond. I had a bad feeling as I cautiously stepped inside. It was quiet. I kept one hand on the hilt of my sword. I felt like I was being watched. The automatic door shut behind me. I pulled out my sword as the lights turned on and I was standing in front of three guards. All three of their guns were pointed at me.

"Lower your weapon" said the one in the middle.

The one to the right moved behind me. My sword made a _clang_ noise as I dropped it next to me and raised my hands in surrender. The one behind me nudged his gun in my shoulder.

"On the ground and hands behind your head" he commanded

I pressed my hands to the back of my head and reluctantly dropped to my knees. The guard on the left picked up my katana. The one that had been in the middle pointed his gun at my forehead.

"Don't try anything" he said

The one behind me grabbed my left wrist. Oh, if only they could see me smirking behind my mask. I stood up abruptly and twisted his hand behind his back and pushed him into the one in front of me. The guard on the left began to fire. I ducked behind a desk as one bullet flew past my ear. Bullets hit the wall above my head. I pressed my back against the wall and used all the strength in my legs to push the desk in his direction. My katana flew out of his hand as he was rammed between the desk and opposite wall. He groaned in pain. One of the other two lunged towards me and the other one began to shoot. I dodged them as I jumped against the wall and ran for my sword. One of the guards fell on his face. I looked to see what had happened. His back was soaked in blood. The bullets I had been trying to dodge had hit him instead. I lunged towards the last guard and swung my katana twice. The front of his gun fell in two pieces before the rest of it exploded in his face. He fell to the ground unconscious. I put my katana back in my sheath and walked towards the blue diamond. I stepped over the guard and outstretched my hand to grab it when I felt something puncture the back of my neck.

"Ow!" I said loudly. I touched the back of my neck and removed a dart that was attached to a small vial that was half empty with some kind of pink liquid. I began to feel dizzy. I grabbed the edge of a machine so I wouldn't lose my balance. Through my blurring vision I saw someone approach me. I wasn't sure if it was a guard or not. He just stood there and watched as blackness clouded around me.

I shook my head. I felt like I fell a hundred feet to the ground. I blinked a few times as a bright light shined in my face. I tried to shield my eyes, but my hands wouldn't move. I couldn't move my shoulders or my legs either. I looked down to see I was strapped down to a table. The same one that other man had been strapped down on. I tried to move, but I couldn't even twist my hands. By my feet was the dead guard. It was dark. What happened? I saw another guard standing by the automatic door with his arm in a sling.

"Glad you're finally up" said a deep voice

I looked towards my right and saw a man's back.

"I was beginning to think that that serum had done more than knock you out" he said

"Who are you?" I asked, finding my voice after a while.

He ignored me. He held my weapon in his hand. He put it next to something black. It was then I realized my mask wasn't on and next to my mask was my locket. Okay, now I felt violated.

"So you're the one who helped my lab test escape"

"Yeah, I had a feeling he didn't volunteer for what you planned" I said "In case you haven't figured it out, neither did I!" I tried to move my legs again but I was strapped down too tightly. I couldn't budge! "Why were you using people as lab rats, anyway?"

"People tend to make my experiments a little more exciting and interesting. All my tests on animals have been a success" he said, he held the diamond in front of the rat cage. The ringing grew a little louder and the rats screeched as if they were being tortured. "And to answer your first question, you can call me Bishop" he said calmly, appearing in the light in front of me. He had dark hair and glasses. He was wearing a black suit and his eyebrows were slanted which made him look like he was permanently frowning.

"You're Bishop?" I asked

"Yes. Now, you know my name. However, I don't know yours" he said

"I wouldn't tell you even if my life depended on it" I snapped

He chuckled. This guy was starting to freak me out. "It makes no difference to me" he said "I will find out in just a few minutes nonetheless"

"What do you mean?" I asked. My voice was a little shaky. He began to pour the pink liquid into a syringe.

"Well, since you interfered with my most recent lab test and helped him escape. I suppose you will do just fine"

I remembered the man's words. _None of them survived._ My heart began to race. I was scared. I've never admitted it before, but I was now. I was genuinely scared. Now I know what it felt like being strapped to a table facing certain death. Needless to say, I didn't like it.

"So you practice…mutations?" I asked. I could literally only hear my own heart beat. He didn't say anything to me. "Wait, if you practice mutations then what do you need an old diamond for?"

He held the diamond in front of my face. The ringing noise was starting to give me a headache. "This particular diamond has many attributes" he said, looking back at the caged animals "If used correctly, it can make my mutations more intelligent, stronger and faster. If I connect this diamond to a certain machine, it could even make them larger. Perhaps the only side-effect is that they are no longer in control of their own bodies. Like…an alter. The same way my guards weren't in control when you used it against them in the museum" he said evilly

I breathed slowly and tried to calm myself. I had to focus on a plan to escape. It wasn't easy to focus when you're freaking out. I closed my eyes and exhaled shakily, but calmly. "How do you know that? From what I could tell, that buff guy wasn't you"

"I have eyes and ears all over the place" he said

"I heard the people you tested on didn't make it. Shouldn't that tell you something?"

"That's true, but I suppose if I test it on you I'll know whether it is a success or not this time" he said, holding up a flask of blue liquid.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. I knew it was a stupid question, but I really wanted to know what his motive was for creating mutations.

"That's confidential" he said, holding the syringe in his hand and came towards me. "And because I'm feeling generous, I've prescribed you with a sedative."

Suddenly a hand grabbed his wrist. It was the guard who had his arm in a sling. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"She's a _kid_!" he objected

_Oh gee, you sure weren't thinking that when you were firing bullets at me! _I couldn't help but think. With his good arm he tried to throw a right hook, but Bishop ducked and roundhouse kicked him in the back before coming behind him and grabbed his neck. I heard a sickening _crack_ as the guard fell limp on the floor next to the other one. I stared wide eyed at Bishop. He readjusted his tie.

"You…you know martial arts?" I asked

"I'd like to think of it more like self-defense" he said, holding the syringe next to me. "Don't worry, after this you won't feel a single thing" he said. He forcefully turned my head to the side and the last thing I felt was the syringe stab my neck.

**End of Chapter 13.**

** Please review! **

**Btw, I hope my character doesn't sound like a Mary Sue.**


	14. Bury the Hatchet

**I'M BAAAAACK! Did you miss me? Haha ok long story short my laptop crashed as I was uploading Chapter 14 and deleted all my data along w/ Chapter 14 (AAAHHH!). So I had to rewrite it. Again, I apologize for my extremely long absence. Also, you guys need to know that I started school again so chapter updates might not be as frequent :'( Before I forget, special thanks to Solar Stormflare, Mikey3Lover, ahsokatano123456, georgeisthewin, crystalsocks, and Guest for reviewing! :)**

~Jade~

I woke up and found myself in the safe comfort of my bed. My clock said 1:30 PM. I looked around my bedroom. What happened last night? I sat bolt upright. My necklace was around my neck. I was wearing my normal night clothes. I jumped off my bed and ran to my closet. My suit was hanging in my closet in the right place. My katana was where it was supposed to be. My bow and arrows were untouched. I didn't remember coming home. Bishop couldn't know where I lived, could he? I ran to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. I was the same. I waited, but nothing changed. My eyes didn't turn red and my pupils didn't turn into long black slits. Everything seemed normal. I felt...normal. I felt the same way I did every morning. Maybe Bishop's experiment failed. I waited a little while longer for something to happen, but nothing did. I stepped out of the bathroom and heading towards my living room. I hadn't seen Kelsey since she came home from the hospital. I decided to head up there.

"Hey" I said to her as she opened her door

"Er...hi" she said back "What're you doing here?" she asked

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay" I said

She leaned against the doorframe.

"I thought you didn't want to speak with me anymore" Kelsey said

I frowned. "What made you think that?" I asked

"That's what you told me last night" she answered

At first I thought she was joking, but her face was serious.

"What? No I didn't" I said

"Yes, you did" she argued "You came here last night and told me that you hated me and didn't want to speak with me anymore"

I frowned at her again. I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn't remember speaking with her last night.

"Kelsey, are you sure that was me?" I asked

She nodded "Yeah, you were wearing your suit and everything"

I didn't remember coming home last night and I definitely didn't remember speaking with Kelsey. More than anything, I would never talk to her like that!

"I would never say anything like that to you, Kelsey. You know that" I said

"Yeah, which was why I was so weirded out" she said

I tried to retrace my steps, but all I remembered after blacking out last night was waking up to this morning. I didn't remember anything in between.

"Are you alright?" Kelsey asked, concerned

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I must've been out of it this time" I joked lightly.

She didn't laugh. I didn't want her to worry about me. I didn't want her to worry about anything I was involved in, especially after what happened last night.

"Listen, the reason I came up here is because I had a day off and thought you might wanted hang out or something"

She looked back behind her.

"Actually, I'm waiting for a call from Dad; I might have to babysit Denise today. Maybe you can come too" she said hopefully

My immediate answer was no. I didn't say it out loud though. I was positive that if he saw me standing next to Kelsey, he wouldn't let me step inside his house let alone see Denise. I didn't want to take any risk of him finding out I was here. I didn't tell Kelsey no immediately. I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"That's probably not such a good idea for me" I said cautiously "Well, if you are going to babysit Denise why don't you stop by my place before you leave? I can make some chili" I said

"I'll think about it" she told me

I headed back towards my apartment. It was already 2:45. It was probably better for me to start making the chili right now. I walked towards my kitchen and took out the can of beans before throwing the whole think in the pot. I let the pot sit for awhile before I added the chili powder. I stirred it together absentmindedly. I sat down at my table and waited for it to boil. My mind began to wander. I would love more than anything to see Denise again. My new appearance wouldn't fool him. Kelsey's father might've been a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. Maybe, once he left I could see Denise for a few minutes. Then again, Denise could probably tell him I was there once he came home. She was six; she was bound to blurt out anything. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a _tap, tap. _What was that? It was coming from my living room. I didn't have my sword near me so I grabbed the knife that was lying on the counter. _Tap, tap. _I cautiously walked towards the living room to see a giant turtle standing on my fire escape and tapping at my sliding door.

"Michelangelo?" I said, putting my knife down and opening the screen door. "Er, hi. How'd you know where I lived?" I asked

"I didn't" he said before sniffing the air "But I know where the chili is and I know where it's going!" he added before stepping inside.

Don jumped down on the rail next.

"Mikey, what're you—" he stopped when he saw me "Jade?"

"Er...hi, Donatello" I said "I guess your brother has a dog's sense of scent"

He pressed his palm to his forehead. "And the appetite of a cow. Sorry about him. May I come in?" he asked politely

"Go ahead" I said, as he stepped inside "Where're the other two?"

As I said that Leo and Raph jumped down on the rail next.

"You live here?" Raph asked me

"Yeah, I think your brother sniffed out the chili"

Raph rolled his eyes. "That explains a lot" he said, before coming inside my apartment.

Leo shook his head. "Can I come in?" he asked

"Go ahead" I said,

I closed the screen door behind him as he joined his brothers. I walked back towards the kitchen to see Mikey taking the big spoon of chili from the pot and about to put it in his mouth.

"Don't do that" I said warningly

I took out a bowl and a tablespoon and handed it to him. He smiled sheepishly.

"I apologize on my brother's behalf. Sometimes we think he has a third stomach if not two" Leo said

I looked back at Mikey who overfilled his bowl with chili. Some of it slipped from the side and on his thumb.

"I think that can be justified" I commented.

I might not have known them for so long, but I already found Mikey a little amusing.

"Sorry about the spontaneous arrival, usually we would've called first. Nice place you got here" Mikey added.

"Thanks. It's not much, but its home. Most of the crap I got was from garage sales" I explained "And can I ask what exactly you four are doing out in broad daylight?"

"We were visiting a friend ours not far from here. We were on our way home when I guess Mikey smelled your chili"

There was a loud knock at my door. Four heads turned to look in that direction.

"Jade, are you in there? It's Kelsey"

"Kelsey?" I said, walking towards the door

"I don't want to fight, can you please open up?" she said on the other side of the door.

"Uh, can you guys…?" I turned back to the turtles, but they had disappeared "Hide? Right, ninjas. What was I thinking?" I murmured as I cracked open the door halfway.

"Hi Jade" she said

Wow, I think this was the first time I heard her say my name since I came here.

"Hey Kelsey" I said

She put her hands in her pocket. "I wanted to talk to you about something"

"Uh, now's not really a good time, can you—"

"It'll only take two minutes, I swear" she promised

"Two minutes?" I clarified. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Leo nod behind my door before he jumped into another place to hide. "Sure" I said as I opened the door for her.

She stepped inside and looked around my apartment.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked

I noticed her hesitate.

"Uh…well, turns out I don't have to babysit Denise" she said

I nodded slowly."Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

Kelsey sighed. "Actually no, I wanted to talk to you about this for a while, since I came home the other day"

I moved my jacket off the couch and sat down.

"Then don't be shy about it" I said coolly "What did you want to tell me?"

"Well, I…" she stopped and frowned before looking around her. "Do you smell that?" she asked

I saw Raph peek out from behind the curtain. I pulled on Kelsey's hand before she could turn around and see him.

"I don't smell anything" I said quickly "So what did you want to tell me?"

"No, I'm serious, you don't smell that? It smells like burnt chili"

"Burnt chil—oh my god!" I exclaimed before I jumped over the couch and ran to the kitchen. I waved my hand above the pot before turning off the stove and putting the pot aside. The strong smell of burnt chili filled my kitchen. Great.

"Do you need help in there?" Kelsey called

"No, everything's fine" I called back, before heading back in the living room.

I noticed Mikey hiding underneath my table. He shifted closer to the other end where Kelsey couldn't see him. I jumped back on the couch next to my sister.

"Sorry, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked

"I…uh, I meant to talk to you about this sooner" she said, standing up and facing me.

I tucked my legs underneath me and watched her.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Jade, I know you and Dad had a fight before you…left"

I chuckled. "Kelsey, we didn't have a fight"

Kelsey folded her arms across her chest. "Don't get me wrong, you're a good liar, but look who you're talking to" she said, pointing to herself

"Sis, look, whatever happened between me and him is just between me and him"

She sat down next to me and looked at me, as if she was begging for an answer.

"Jade, what're you not telling me?" she asked "Does it have anything to do with me?" she added

"No!" I objected "Kelsey, it's nothing about you"

She didn't seem convinced. I squeezed her hand.

"Kelsey, can we please not let my problems with him get in the way between us?"

"I don't want them to, but I have to know. Why aren't you telling me?" she insisted

"Because I don't want you to lose anything you have!" I said finally

She blinked, confused by my answer.

"You have me _and_ him. I don't want you to end up choosing sides. It's better for you this way" I explained.

She stood up and looked down at me with her hands on her hips.

"Is it?" she asked calmly "Is it _really_ better for me this way? Do I _really_ have both of you? Jade, how can it be better for me when you've cut Dad completely out of your life and he acts like you never existed?"

"No surprise there" I muttered to myself

"What?"

"Nothing" I said "Kelsey, I can completely understand how you feel, but don't think it's better if you have both of us rather than just one of us?"

Her eyes widened. The same way someone else's would if a complete stranger had waved to them. She sat down on the coffee table in front of me.

"I've never heard you say something like that in my entire life" she said "You've changed a lot"

"People change, Kelsey. You did too" I pointed out coolly

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess that's why we didn't get along so much when I saw you again"

"It's not your fault" I said reassuringly

I could tell she still thought whatever happened between me and her father had something to do with her.

"Can we not let him come in between us? He's doing that right now and he's not even in the room"

Kelsey sighed.

"If you can't bury the hatchet with Dad, can you with me?" she asked "I know I've been a bitch to you ever since you came here"

"It's not your fault" I told her again "I think I deserved most of it"

"The reason I pushed you away so many times was because I was scared if I let you back in my life you'd walk out again without a second thought and when the doctor told me that you stayed by my side all night, I guess that's when I realized you really did care"

So all this time Kelsey was afraid I'd walk away. I didn't blame her for feeling that way. If the places were reversed, I'd be afraid of the same thing. This was the Kelsey I remembered; the one that always believed in second chances, not the one that strongly reminded me of her father. Burying the hatchet with her father was a step I wasn't ready to take. It would be a _really_ big step on my part. I don't think I even wanted to take it.

"You're right. I don't want to lose either one of you" Kelsey said "I'm sorry we had another fight"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It was more an argument this time, not a fight"

She rested her elbow on her thigh. "Why don't we call it a disagreement?"

I laughed. "Same thing"

"So, can _we_ bury this hatchet and start new?" she asked holding her hand out.

"You should know, I'm not planning on leaving" I told her. I didn't shake her hand, but I hugged her and she hugged me back

"So how about that chili?" she asked

"I hope you're okay with it being a little overdone" I said, before heading into the kitchen and she followed me.

Kelsey sat down at the table as I walked towards the counter. _Bang!_

"Ow!" I heard Mikey shout.

Kelsey jumped up.

"What the heck was that?" she said, frightfully.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I cursed at myself. I forgot about the four reptiles that were hiding in my apartment. Mikey crawled out from the other side of the table and Kelsey saw him. Her eyes widened and she screamed.

"What the hell is that?" Kelsey shouted

"Way to go, bonehead" Raph said, coming out from behind the curtain

Don came out from behind the couch. Kelsey looked around at them.

"Kelsey, don't freak out…" I said

"You're…you're…"

"Turtles" Don finished delicately.

With that, Kelsey's legs wobbled and she fainted. I caught her by her arms before she could fall and hurt herself.

"I'm gonna say that didn't go so well" Mikey said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ya think?" Raph and I said at the same time.

Don came and slowly picked her up bridal style.

"Thanks" I said

"Where do you want me to put her?" he asked

"Can you put her on my bed" I replied, leading them towards my bedroom

Don carefully set her head down on the pillow.

"Can one of you guys grab two water bottles from the kitchen? They're in the cupboard above the stove"

Leo, who was closest to the door, nodded to me before heading to my kitchen.

"I didn't mean to freak her out" Mikey said apologetically

"I know you didn't. I just wish you chose a better hiding spot"

"You should know, Mikey's not good at hiding" Raph told me

"Hey!" Mikey retorted

Don came next to me and pressed a finger to Kelsey's wrist.

"Is she okay?" I asked worriedly

"Her pulse is fine" he told me "I think she just fainted in shock"

"I'm gonna be honest, I've never seen Kelsey faint before, which is actually saying something" I said

Great, it hadn't been two minutes since Kelsey and I buried the hatchet and this happens. I only hoped she didn't go out screaming. Leo walked back in and handed me the two water bottles. Kelsey moaned and pressed her hand to her head.

"Maybe you guys should take about five steps back" I suggested

The turtles looked at one another before stepping towards the other side of my room. Kelsey opened her eyes and sat up on her elbows before looking at me, but her eyes trailed towards the four giant turtles in my room.

"Kelsey…" I said slowly "Don't freak out. Just calm down…"

"You…are…giant…"

She looked like she was about to pass out again. I snapped my fingers in front of her face.

"Kelsey, hey! Look at me. Inhale" I breathed in and she followed my example "Exhale" I said as I breathed out and she copied me. "Better?"

"No" she answered immediately, staring at my green friends "Why do you have four giant turtles in your room?" she asked

"Kelsey these are friends of mine. They're not going to hurt you"

"Hi" Mikey said, waving sheepishly

Her eyes widened again.

"They talk" she said softly. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her knees. "I'm sleeping, I'm sleeping, I'm sleeping, I'm sleeping" she muttered to herself.

Wow, she was handling this a lot worse than how I did. Mikey suddenly laughed.

"She reminds me of when April first saw us" he laughed

"Not helping, Mikey" Leo said.

I uncapped one of the water bottles and threw a little in her face. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times.

"Hey! What was that for?" she demanded

"You're freaking out was starting to freak me out" I said, handing her the water bottle.

She looked at the turtles again before looking back at me.

"I _am_ dreaming right?" she asked

Wow, I just threw water in her face and she still thought she was sleeping.

"Actually, you're not" I said, before looking at the turtles. "Leo, come here for a sec?"

He looked at me quizzically before stepping forward and standing next to me.

"Remember him?" I asked

Kelsey's eyes widened. "No way" she whispered

"Yeah, you weren't hallucinating when you were pulled out of that car. He's real" I said

"Er…hi" Leo said awkwardly

"You guys want to let us in on what you're yammering 'bout?" Raph asked, annoyed

Leo began explaining to his brothers about how he pulled Kelsey out of a car wreck. Kelsey had finally calmed down, though did seem just a little on edge.

"So, I'm _not_ dreaming?" Kelsey asked

"No" I said, scooting next to her and uncapped the second water bottle before drinking a little.

She looked back at them one by one.

"Why aren't you as freaked out about this?" she asked

I rolled my eyes and looked over at my sister. I really thought the answer to that question was pretty obvious.

"Kelsey, my emotional responses to everything have always been a little bit different from yours" I pointed out "I think the fact that they could talk freaked me out a lot more than the fact that they were giant turtles"

"You're so weird" she muttered before drinking a little bit of water "How'd you meet them?" she asked

"That's a really long story. I'll tell you later" I said, taking another sip of water. "This is Leo. That's Raph. That's Donny and the one that freaked you out is Mikey"

"Hi!" Mikey said again

She gave him a small wave before looking back at the rest of them.

"Where did you guys come from?" she asked

I opened my mouth say something, but stopped and looked back at the four of them.

"That's actually a really good question" I said, hoping one of them would answer.

Don and Mikey both began to talk at once. The only words I caught were "ooze" and "accident". Kelsey looked back at me with a look that plainly said _did you get any of that? _I shrugged my shoulders.

"Maybe our master can explain a little bit better" Leo suggested

**End of Chapter 14. :)**

**Hope you liked it! I was going to put up chapter 15 w/ ch. 14 but I'm having writer's block so I decided to just post ch14 for you guys :) Anyway, ch 15 in progress! Pleaseee review! **


	15. Meeting Splinter

**Chapter 15:**

**This chapter continues from Chapter 14. I hope you guys like it! Thank you ahsokatano123456 and Mikey3Lover for reviewing! (I would love more!) Okay here's chapter 15 and as always…**

**E-n-j-o-y! :) **

~Turtles~

Mikey reached down and removed the manhole cover. Jade and Kelsey looked down skeptically.

"Uh, no offense guys, but the idea of smelling like a human sewer doesn't exactly appeal to me" Kelsey said

"I second that" Jade agreed

"You guys are making it sound a lot worse than it is" Mikey said, before jumping down "Whoo-hoo!" he shouted

They both hesitated, but finally climbed down the ladder followed by Leo, Don then Raph who pulled the cover back on.

Don walked in front while Mikey walked alongside Kelsey and Jade.

"Are you sure you're going the right way?" Jade asked

"You're talking to turtles that lived in the sewers their entire lives. We know these pipes like the back of our hands"

"Which for Mikey isn't really that well" Raph commented

They came to a wide open area where there was nothing but a giant hole in the ground. It was the old drainage tunnel. The big hole was where Master Splinter unfortunately fell through when he was fighting off the Mousers. Then he discovered a new cavern which came to be their new home. Mikey did a flip in the air and jumped down the hole.

"Cowabunga!" his shout echoed

Jade and Kelsey looked at one another before shrugging. Jade walked towards the edge of the hole.

"And where does this endless pit lead to?" she asked

"Not far from our lair. It's a steep drop" Leo said

Jade gave him an amused look before jumping down the hole herself. Don and Leo looked at each other wide-eyed.

"You'll have to excuse her. She has a big I-can-take-care-of-myself attitude" Kelsey explained

"That was probably not the smartest decision to make" Don said looking down the hole.

Raph came in between Leo and Don.

"Hang on, I want ta hear her hit bottom" he said

A scream of surprise echoed from the hole and he laughed.

"Good enough for me" Raph said, before jumping down followed by Leo. It was only Kelsey and Don left.

"He's mean" Kelsey remarked about Raphael.

She looked over the edge and stepped back.

"May I?" Don asked, coming next to her.

"Please. I hate heights" she said.

Don carefully picked her up bridal style slowly so she could be comfortable. Kelsey wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed her eyes shut as Don came to the edge. Don laughed a little inside when she did that. He thought it was kind of cute. He jumped through the hole after others.

~Jade~

I jumped through the hole and felt the rush of air go through my hair. I kept falling until I felt my feet touch the ground. It wasn't until my feet slid from underneath me that I realized it was a slope. I screamed in surprise as I fell backwards and slid down the rest of the way. I finally stopped and found myself staring at the ceiling. Mikey appeared above my head.

"Nice fall" he said

"Thanks" I said, standing up and dusting myself off.

Leo and Raph came down next.

"I tried to warn you" Leo said

"I'll keep that in mind next time" I said

Don came down holding Kelsey in his arms. He stood up and set Kelsey down on her feet.

"Are you okay?" she asked, dusting off my back

"Just remind me to put an icepack on my shoulder" I said, rotating my arm backwards.

"Give me a break, it wasn't that bad" Raph said

"Some of us aren't wearing protective shells" I said, a little annoyed

We followed them towards their lair. I didn't get a really good look at it when I ran out of here last time. One thing I noticed was that it definitely didn't smell like a sewer. There was a small pond in the middle with a bridge over it. They even had a kitchen and bathroom. Two screen doors opened and a giant rat walked out and came towards us.

"Jade, you probably already know our sensei" Mikey said

Leo bowed to him. "Master Splinter, I'd like you to meet a friend of ours" he said before stepping back again.

His sensei looked over at me and I pursed my lips. Last time I was here, I almost stabbed a sword right through his head. Not the best first impression. It was probably in my best interest to apologize right now. I stepped forward and bowed respectfully to him.

"I hope you can forgive me of my actions from our last encounter…sensei" I added quickly, I wasn't sure how to address him.

I stole a quick glance at him. He seemed shocked by my approach. I didn't want to be on his bad side. From the way Leo talked about him, he sounded as different as night and day from my master. Right now, I only hoped his master was forgiving. I stayed in the bowed position, waiting for him to say something. He reached out and put a firm hand on my shoulder. I tensed a little, but stayed still.

"All is forgiven, child" he said finally

I was a little taken aback when he called me "child". I stood up straight and looked at him.

"Thank you" I said, before stepping back next to Kelsey. "My name is Jade Gallagher and this is my sister, Kelsey Copeland"

"It is an honor to meet you, Miss. Gallagher. My sons have told me much. It is an honor to meet you as well Miss. Copeland"

I looked over at Kelsey who's stared wide-eyed at him.

"You're a…rat" she blurted out

I elbowed her in her side.

"You'll have to excuse my sister. She's not the kind of person who's afraid to speak her mind" I explained.

Master Splinter only looked amused.

"Come we shall speak" he said, walking towards the couch.

"What was that for?" Kelsey demanded in a whisper

"Try to keep your mouth shut" I whispered back

"Please sit" Splinter said

Kelsey and I sat down on the couch while he sat in the chair in front of us. Leo seated himself next to him. Don sat on the arm next to me and Mikey seated himself next to Kelsey. Raph leaned against a brick pillar looking bored.

"From what I understand, you have come to good terms with my sons" he stated

"Yes" I replied "Leonardo saved my sister from an accident. They've earned my trust for that"

"I see…" Splinter said calmly

"They want to know of our origin, Master Splinter" Leo said, "We thought maybe you could explain better than us"

"Am I to understand that they haven't revealed us to the outside world?" Splinter asked Leo

"No, they haven't. At least, I don't think so" he said looking over at me

I shook my head no. "It's not like anyone would believe us if we did" I said

"Yeah, they'd think we're crazy" Kelsey agreed

"She just found out two minutes ago. It's her you have to worry about. She has a big mouth" I said, jerking my thumb towards my sister

She hit my arm. "I do _not_" she protested

"Seriously though, we won't tell anyone" I said

Kelsey nodded in agreement. "We swear" she added

Splinter approached me and looked me in the eye. I knew what he was doing and I didn't blink. After about a full minute, he stood back up.

"I believe you" he said

He looked at Kelsey.

"Both of you" he added, before he began to tell us their story.

There had been an accident. A boy was carrying a jar with four baby turtles when an old blind man was crossing the road and was almost hit by a truck. Another person ran to help and accidently knocked the jar out of the boy's hands. The jar broke and the drainage water washed the four turtles into the sewers along with it a metal canister that had bounced out of the swerving truck. It had smashed open and they were covered in green ooze. Splinter had taken pity on them and gathered them up. In the process he had gotten some of the ooze on himself as well. The next morning they doubled in size, apparently the ooze had affected the way they grow. Soon they began to walk and talk too. He chose all of their names out of a book on Renaissance art. Not long after, he began to teach them ninjitsu in order to defend themselves.

"So you just adopted all of them?" I asked interestingly

"Yes" he said

I think my level of respect for him went higher than it already was.

"Wow" Kelsey said, "How did you know martial arts, though?"

"That is a different story Miss. Copeland" he said

When he said that, I suddenly saw sorrow in his eyes. I think I was the only that noticed, though. He was hiding something. When he looked over at me, I dropped my gaze.

"From what I've seen, I understand you know ninjitsu as well" he said

I sighed. "I've learned different forms of martial arts. Ninjitsu was one of them, along with a few others" I said

"Such as?" he asked

"Ninjitsu was the main one" I said shortly, I looked over at Kelsey out of the corner of my eye; she had her head turned away and shifted a little. I think she didn't like knowing about what I've been up to for the past three years anymore than I liked talking about it.

It seemed like Splinter sensed the tension between us because he looked from me to my sister and back again.

"I see…" he said calmly "You are both welcome in our home" he said

He stared at me for a little while longer before walking towards his dojo. I watched him go. The way Splinter had stared at me before he walked away was unsettling. He knew something about me. I had a feeling it was something I didn't want him to know, it made me uncomfortable. There was something else he wasn't saying. Why was he asking me about my training? My doubts about trusting them began to resurface.

"Hello, anyone home?" Mikey said, knocking on top of my head

"What?" I said, turning my attention to everyone around me.

"I asked how long you've been training" Don said

"Oh, few years" I said shortly

They seemed confused by why I didn't elaborate on it. The last thing I wanted to talk about was my training.

"It's not something I'm really comfortable talking about" I explained

_Great job Jade, you probably just made them even more curious _I thought to myself. My fingers began to fidget around my locket. Kelsey seemed to notice I felt uncomfortable because she suddenly spoke up.

"Wow, I'm _hungry_!" she said "Do you guys have anything to eat around here?" she asked

"Now that you mentioned it, I'm really hungry too" Mikey said

"You just had half of her chili before you got here" Raph told him

"I was hungry then, but now I'm really, really hungry" Mikey complained

"Well, I haven't had anything to eat all afternoon, where's your kitchen?" Kelsey asked

"Just follow me!" Mikey said running towards the kitchen.

Kelsey stood up and followed Don and Raph.

"Thanks sis" I said under my breath as she passed by me.

"You owe me" she whispered back quietly.

I waited for all of them to walk inside the kitchen.

"Are you coming?" Leo asked

"No, I'm not hungry. Thanks though" I told him.

He looked at me suspiciously before following the others. I waited until they were all in there. I couldn't stop thinking about that grief I saw in Splinter's eyes, as if he had lost a close friend or something. Then, there was how he had stared at me so intently. It was like I was holding up a barrier and he had seen right through me. I didn't know if he was bad at hiding it or if he wanted me to know that he knew something about me. I haven't told the turtles or Splinter much about myself. The closest thing I could think of was my ninja training and my sister. I didn't even tell their sensei about my ninja training until now! He knew something before I told him about my training. My hand tightened around my chain. Knots tied themselves in my stomach. What could I have given away? What did he know? I opened my locket and looked at the picture of the small boy smiling at me. I bit my bottom lip. If he knew something, would he tell me if I asked? I turned to look at the sliding doors of his dojo. I snapped my locket close. There was one way to find out. I heard the others talking in the kitchen. I stood up from the couch and slowly walked towards Splinter's dojo. I stood in front of the Japanese screen doors for about five seconds before knocking twice.

"Enter" I heard him say from inside.

~Turtles~

Leo stood by the entrance of the kitchen and saw Jade walk inside his master's room.

"And I thought she couldn't get any shadier" Raph said behind him

"We have a little bit of leftover Chinese, is that okay?" Don asked Kelsey

"Anything's fine" she told him

Leo and Raph walked back towards the others.

"Step away from the microwave, Mikey" Don told him, before warming up the leftover Chinese. "Where's Jade?" he asked

"Just saw her walk inside Splinter's room" Raph said

"Splinter's room?" Don repeated

Mikey sat down on the counter. "Did you guys see the way she went all funny when Don asked her about her training?"

Leo looked down at Kelsey. "Has she always been like that?" he asked

Kelsey shook her solemnly. "No. She's never like that. Ever. She's changed a lot since she came here. I don't mean the good kind of change either"

"What do you mean?" Don asked

She stretched her arms out on the table.

"Jade's always been happy and outgoing. She's the most enthusiastic person you'd ever meet! But ever since I saw her again, she's been, well, moody" she explained

"What do ya mean by saw you again?" Raph asked

Kelsey sighed. "We used to live in Florida. My dad's a realtor and his job moved him here to New York, but this was way after Jade ran away"

The four brothers looked from one another.

"She ran away? Why?" Don asked

Kelsey shrugged. "I wish I knew. I just woke up one day and poof! She was gone. No note, no message. She didn't even tell why. She just disappeared into thin air. That was almost three years ago"

"You don't know why?" Leo asked

She shook her head no. "I just saw her again few weeks ago. I don't know where she's been or how she found me…"

"You must've been surprised" Don said

"I was" she replied "She won't tell me why she'd gone. All I know it has something to do with my dad"

"Your dad?" Raph asked

"Yeah, I mean, she asks a million questions about our mom, but she didn't even ask one about our dad. And the fact that my dad doesn't even talk about Jade or even gets mad if I mention her makes me believe it even more"

"Where's your mom?" Mikey asked

She looked down at her hands. Kelsey was quiet for about a minute.

"She's…dead" Kelsey said gloomily

"Oh" Mikey said awkwardly "I'm sorry, I didn't know"

"It's okay" she told him

Don sat down on the table across from her with the plate of food in the middle.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but…what happened?" he asked

"A break in" she answered "Some burglars broke into our home and killed her in the process"

"That's rough" Leo said "Does Jade know?" he asked

"Yeah, she does. I think it's harder for her though. She was really close with Mom"

"Maybe that's why she's so moody" Mikey guessed

Kelsey shook her head again. "No it's more than just that. It has something to do with my Dad" she said

"Maybe we can find out for you" Mikey suggested

She laughed. "I don't think so. If she won't tell me, I don't think she'll tell you" Kelsey pointed out, resting her chin on her fist "In all honesty, I'm just glad she's back. I did miss her"

~Jade~

I stepped inside his dojo and closed the screen door behind me. It was a small room. There wasn't much in it. Splinter was sitting on a mat, meditating.

"Um, it's me" I said.

"How may I help you Miss. Gallagher?" he said, not turning around

I didn't want to disturb him if he was meditating. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Er…you seem preoccupied. Should I come back later?" I asked

"You are not disturbing me" he answered

I looked at the shelf that was on one side of his room. There was a glass orb, various books and a scrap of clothing that had the red symbol on it.

"Is there a particular matter you'd like to speak with me about?" he asked calmly.

I stared at the red symbol and balled my hand into a fist. I loosened my fingers and stretched them out. I exhaled slowly.

"Yes" I said, seating myself in front of him "I have a question about that Foot symbol"

He opened his eyes and stared at me. He was quiet for a while. He stood up and took the cloth off the shelf before seating himself back on the mat.

"You know the Foot?" he asked, though said it more like a statement

"Yes" I answered

"They have a leader named Shredder, but he goes by another name as well"

"Oroku Saki" I finished "I know him too"

I began to fidget with my locket again.

"And I think you know something about me too" I added

He held the cloth out to me. I took it and stared at it in my hand.

"During our first encounter, you're fighting techniques resembled closely to his. I am under the impression you have a history with him" he said

I placed the cloth down in front of me and let go of my locket.

"You're not wrong" I admitted guiltily "And I wish I could erase all of it"

Splinter stared at me, but my gaze was on the Foot symbol. Every time I looked at it I felt like my insides were being twisted and were on fire.

"I hope you don't judge me by my involvement with him. I didn't have much of a choice. I was…" I sighed, and began to think about how I had first encountered Saki. I pursed my lips and buried my face in my hands. "I was desperate" I told him

When I had first met him, he didn't seem like such a bad man. Then it wasn't long until he showed his true colors, but still even then I didn't have much choice.

"Miss Gallagher, I do not judge you by your involvement with the Shredder. Few of your techniques do resemble closely to his, but I see no evil in you. You have respect and honor. He does not"

I felt my cheeks grow a little warm. I hope it wasn't showing. I was flattered and embarrassed at the same time. I even felt a little bit of guilt. I already felt like he had high expectations for me.

"I'm flattered you think of me that way, Master Splinter, but you give me too much credit and—"

He raised his hand and stopped me.

"However, I do wish to know how a clever girl such as yourself came to cross paths with such a vile man?"

I didn't answer. I knew what was coming a second before it happened. I stood up slowly and walked over to his shelf. I pretended to be interested in the round glass orb he had on there. I bit back on my tongue to fight a sob. I felt like I had a rock stuck in my throat. I looked up at the ceiling to keep any tear from falling. _Get a grip _I told myself. I breathed in slowly before letting out a shaky breath. My fingers tangled around my chain once again. I let out another shaky breath before turning back to Splinter

"It's not something I'm comfortable talking about, sir—sensei" I said, correcting myself quickly

"Painful?" he asked

"Yes" I answered.

It wasn't just painful to talk about, it was also embarrassing. I know he meant well, but if he wanted to know everything from the beginning there was no doubt in my mind that his opinion of me would change. I wasn't embarrassed by it; it was just embarrassing to tell. It didn't seem right to tell someone so respectable like him. I was probably better off taking this secret with me to the grave. I tried to change the subject.

"Leonardo came and asked me about that a few days ago" I said, pointing at the symbol

"What did you tell him?" he asked calmly

"He told me that you told him that a smart ninja doesn't look for an enemy he doesn't know. So, I just told him that he was better off not knowing and that you'd agree with me if you were there" I looked down at the Foot symbol again before looking back at Splinter. "They don't know about him do they?"

"No" he answered "And I would prefer it stay that way"

I nodded slowly. "And I would prefer the same for my sister" I said,

**_Continued in chapter 16…_**

**End of Chapter 15.**

**Since this chapter was pretty long, I decided to split it in two parts. Review! Review! Review! And Read on to Chapter 16:)**


	16. Protection vs Vengeance

**Chapter 16: **

**It continues from Jade's POV. I will admit I did get a little lazy towards the end, but I hope it's still okay. Read and PLEASE review! It gives me motivation! Enjoy chapter 16 :D**

I was about to walk out the door until I stopped. "Can I…can I ask you for some advice?" I asked

"Upon what matter?" he asked

"Well…" I started "If you had to make a choice between protecting your sons and avenging a loved one, what would you do?" I asked "Is it possible to accomplish both?"

He blinked at my question.

"I'm afraid only you can answer that question for yourself Miss. Gallagher. The path we choose strongly relies on the choices we make"

I was quiet. I wish he had given me a much different answer.

"I see there is much uncertainty in you" he said

I put my hand on the door, but didn't slide it back yet.

"Everything's different now. I…I don't know what to think anymore" I replied, more to myself than to him.

"Have you tried meditating upon it?" he asked

"I tried" I told him "Sometimes my peace of mind is interrupted with nightmares, some of them foreshadow my past. When that happens I'm more focused on blocking it out than finding the answer to my question"

"Sometimes we must confront our past in order to move forward" he said, putting a hand on my shoulder "Come. Join me in meditation. Focus your mind on nothing, but an answer to your question" he said

I followed him outside his dojo. Splinter sat down in front of his room and became quiet as he began to meditate again. I walked a little more towards the pool in the middle of the room before sitting down to meditate. _Relax _I told myself as I closed my eyes.

_In, out…in, out…_

I had to confront Saki, but at the same time I had to protect my sister. I couldn't let my need for vengeance get the best of me.

_In, out…in, out… _

When the time is right. I didn't know when that was and I didn't know if I could wait that long.

"Please help!" echoed a man's voice

I stayed calm as the voice grew more clear and louder. I could almost hear it actually screaming in my ears.

"Please help me!" he begged

My hand tightened around my knee and I breathed deeper. _Confront it. Don't block it out, just let it happen._ I suddenly felt like a bright light was shining in my face. I opened my eyes and found myself staring at my old home. I could see my mother in the kitchen. She looked out the window and smiled curiously. I extended my arm and felt a cold glass. I looked around me and saw I was in a round glass sphere. It was similar to the one Master Splinter had on his shelf. My mother came out on the porch and waved.

"Can I help you?" she called

A tall man walked past me. My heart dropped in my stomach when I noticed it was Saki. I didn't understand. What was going on? Wait, this was only happening in my mind. This wasn't real. It was another nightmare. Right now, I was too busy panicking as I watched Saki step on the porch towards my mother.

"Mrs. Copeland?" he asked

"Yes?"

I could see him smile.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you" he said as he took her hand and kissed the top of it.

_You bastard, get away from her!_

I knew they were talking, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. They sounded distant and far away as if I was listening to them underwater. My mother smiled. Then I heard her next words loud and clearly.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked

"No Mama, don't!" I shouted, but I didn't think she could hear me. I don't think she could even see me.

He walked inside as my mother closed the door behind him. I tried to run but I couldn't. Then I heard a loud bloodcurdling scream.

"MOM,NO!" I shouted

"Jade!" I heard my mother's faint voice call out desperately

_Come out. Please come out. _I thought desperately as I looked at the door.

"Jade!" she shouted again, this time it was more clear. Then I realized it wasn't my mother's voice, it was Kelsey's.

"Jade!" she shouted

I blinked a few times and found myself staring at my sister. Her face covered in worry.

"Are you okay?" she asked "I heard you scream. Oh my god, you're shaking and you're as white as a sheet!"

I took deep breaths and looked around me. Splinter was still meditating. The turtles weren't anywhere in sight. I guess they were still in the kitchen.

"Jade, are you okay?" Kelsey repeated.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said, though I was having a hard time convincing myself "I just need a glass of water"

I stood up and walked to the kitchen. Leo, Don, and Mikey looked at me suspiciously. Raph wasn't there. I stood by one of the chair.

"Can I have a glass of water?" I asked

They all had raised an eyebrow. No doubt they heard me scream too. I felt my face grow warm. Leo grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured some water in it before handing it to me.

"Where's Mr. Sunshine?" I asked, referring to Raph.

"He got bored so he hit topside" Leo explained

"You okay, dudette?" Mikey asked

"I'm fine" I lied, drinking the water.

My throat burned for some reason. The water wasn't exactly helping. The clock on the wall said 7:30.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Leo asked

"Yeah" I said, putting the glass aside. "Thanks. I just need a little air, excuse me"

Before they could ask me anything else, I walked out. Kelsey was pacing in front of the pool. She stopped when she saw me.

"You okay?"

"Yeah" I answered for about the third time. "I'm gonna get a little air. Will you be okay here if I'm gone for a few minutes?" I asked

She looked at me cautiously before nodding. I ran out through the tunnel before climbing up a random ladder.

*~o-0-o~*

I jumped from roof to roof. My sword was hitting against my leg. The wind rushed in my ears. I had gone back to my apartment and changed into my suit. I stopped running and tugged my mask higher over my nose. My breathing became normal as I sat on the edge of the roof. I was so frustrated! What was with that weird vision? (Or whatever the hell you call it!) It was like another nightmare. None of it made any sense. What was with the glass orb anyway? _Relax_ my mind told me _It was just another bad dream._ I chuckled. When I was little and had a bad dream, it was usually my grandmother telling me those words when she would babysit me. My heart felt heavy. What Kelsey didn't know was that I was at grandma and grandpa's funeral. I was just at a distance.

_~Flashback~_

_I peered through the bushes and looked at the cemetery across the street. The cold wind rustled the leaves. From where I was, I could see my sister standing in front of a grave. I counted on my fingers. Ten months. It had been ten months since I'd last seen her. She had grown maybe an inch or two. I wanted to talk to her. I was in as much pain as she was, if not more. She was standing alone in the cemetery. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She shouldn't be alone, especially not now. I had to comfort her. She had to know I was okay. I stepped out of the bush and on the sidewalk. I was about to cross the street when someone stepped in front of me. I felt the color drain from my face._

_"Dad," I said, timidly _

_"What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded_

_I looked at the cemetery behind him._

_"I came to say goodbye to mother" I said more bravely_

_"You're mother's not here" he said_

_"Kelsey's standing in front of her right now" I said_

_"That's your grandmother" he stated "Like I said before, you're mother's not here"_

_My eyes widened._

_"Then where is she?" I asked_

_"Somewhere you won't find her" he said calmly_

_My eyes began to grow warm. I bit on my tongue. Crying was a sign of weakness and there was no way I was going to give him that satisfaction._

_"What did you do!" I demanded_

_He pointed a finger in my face._

_"Don't you raise your voice at me" he snapped "It would be in your best interest to walk away from here"_

_I wiped at the corner of my eye._

_"I'm not going anywhere until I speak with Kelsey" I said, walking past him. He grabbed my arm._

_"For heaven's sake! Haven't you caused us all enough pain already?"_

_I pulled my arm away. "I didn't cause anything!" I shouted, this time wiping my other eye "After I tell her what you did, she'll never forgive you!"_

_I was walking in the middle of the crosswalk when he grabbed my wrist._

_ "She's in enough pain without you. The last thing I'll let you do is hurt her"_

_"I'd never hurt her. I love her!"_

_He glared at me coldly._

_"If that's true, then you won't add to her misery"_

_"Don't play that card with me" I said_

_"Right now, she needs me a lot more than she needs you" _

_"I'm her sister. She needs me too" I said_

_He pointed a finger in my face again._

_"She was doing just fine without you until this happened. If you love Kelsey, you'll leave her alone" he said, before letting go of my wrist "For once, put some else before you" he scolded and walked towards the cemetery and left me standing in the middle of the crosswalk._

_I watched as he walked towards Kelsey and led her away towards his car. I plucked a flower out of the ground and walked through the gate. I stood in front of my grandmother's grave and placed the flower in front of the tombstone. I stood there quietly. I heard the hum of a car engine, I knew it was his, but I didn't run after it. I turned around and watched it drive by the iron fence, but didn't run after it no matter how badly I wanted to. I watched it drive out of sight. As much as I hated him, he was right. I didn't want to hurt her. I planned to come back when it was safe for me. Father can't keep me away from her forever, but for now he got his wish. I felt numb._

_"Bye, sis" I said softly_

~Present~

"What the hell do you think you're doing, lurkin' around this place?" I heard Raph's voice demand

I ran over to the other side of the building to see Raph talking to two small kids. I jumped down at the end of the alley and pulled my mask down to my chin.

"What's going on?" I asked him

One of the two kids was holding a basketball.

"I found these two runnin' around the place. You know how many freaks lurk around here?"

I approached the boy with light brown hair and knelt down to his level.

"What's your name?" I asked him

He didn't say anything.

"You have a name don't you? Mine's Jade and what's yours?"

"Nolan" he answered

I turned to the other one.

"And yours?" I asked kindly

"Cole" he said

I looked at both of them and smiled.

"My mom said we're not suppose to talk to strangers" said Cole

I nodded. "Your mom's right, Cole. It is dangerous to talk to strangers, but it's also dangerous to be out this late at night"

Nolan looked at Raph behind him and eyed his weapon.

"Is he going to hurt us?" he asked

"No he's not, honey. He's a friend of mine and he wants to know the same thing I do. Why aren't you two at home? It's dangerous to be out this late"

"We were at home" Cole said

"But then we got bored and came outside to play for a little bit" Nolan finished

"Well, this isn't a safe place to play. You're mother's probably worried about you"

"Please don't tell her!" Cole shouted

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously before kneeling down on one knee again.

"I'm getting the impression she doesn't know you're here" Raph said

"Please don't tell our mom! She'll ground us"

"Okay, I won't tell" I told them "But only if you two promise not to stay out this late again. There are a lot of weirdoes out here and you can get hurt. Do you guys promise?"

They both looked at each other.

"We promise" they said in unison

"Scout's honor?" I asked

Nolan spit in his hand and held it out to me. Cole followed his example. I hesitated.

"Uh, why don't we just stick to pinky swear, okay?"

Raph chuckled. Both of them stuck out their pinky fingers and I wrapped both of mine around theirs.

"Okay, now let's get you two home" I said

"We better go that way" Raph suggested, jerking his thumb down the opposite end of the alley

I was about to ask why when he gave me a warning look. I didn't object and told Cole and Nolan to lead the way.

"Did you see something?" I asked Raph

"Yeah, Purple Dragons" he said "I saw them walkin' down the alley where these two were playin', they were lucky their ball rolled out on the sidewalk"

"Where did the Purple Dragons go?" I asked

"Saw them head towards Central Park that's when you came" he said

"So are you guys like superheroes or something?" Cole asked

I laughed. "Uh, something like that" I said

"Cool!" Nolan said "So do you just go around and save people?"

"I just go 'round kickin' butt to anyone who deserves it" Raph said

_Wow, great influence Raph_ I thought sarcastically

"That's our house" Cole said pointing at house across the street before looking up at me. "You won't tell our mom, right?"

"I promised you I wouldn't" I said

"Go on, get outta here!" Raph said

We both watched as the two kids ran through the back door into their house.

"Glad that's over" he said, walking back towards the alley where we came from.

I rolled my eyes, half-amused. "It's a shame you don't like kids" I said to him.

"They're like bugs, except you can't step on them" he said, jumping up a fire escape.

I'd beg to differ. I climbed the fire escape after him.

"So what're you doin' out here anyway?" he asked

"I needed a little air" I told him

Raph stopped walking.

"Hey, hold up" he said, stopping by the wall.

Before I could ask what, he jumped down and hid behind a giant bush. I followed him.

"There they are" he whispered

I looked where Raph was looking and saw the three gang members that had almost attacked Kelsey. They were walking towards a woman that was pushing along a stroller.

"Oh, no" I whispered as the three surrounded her.

"Hand over the purse," one of them said, holding up a gun.

Another one leaned over the stroller. He was holding a pipe in his hand.

"Hey, she's cute" he said

"Don't hurt her!" the woman said

"Oh don't worry, I won't hurt her yet"

Now I was angry. I pulled out my sword and jumped out of the bush. I stood behind the guy that was leaning over the stroller and poked my sword in his back

"Put your weapon on the ground, hands behind your head, and step _away from the stroller_" I said dangerously

The last four words practically dripped blood. I had half a mind to stab my katana right through him, just for threatening to hurt her.

"Who the hell do you think you are, chick?" he said

I twisted his arm behind his back, as far as it would go without snapping and held my sword at the side of his neck. He swore at me as I shoved him against a lamp post with my forearm pressed against his back.

"There are two things in this world that you never mess with in front of me. A woman and a baby" I told him "You just did both in a matter of two minutes"

I used all my strength and shoved him into a bush. The other two ran towards me from either side. I jumped up and split kicked them both in the face. One of them groaned and covered his bloody nose, while the other one stood up and pointed his gun in my face. His bloody lip formed into an evil grin.

"Say goodnight" he said as he pulled down the back trigger of the gun.

Raph came out of nowhere and attacked him from behind. I pulled the woman by her arm to keep her and her baby out of harm's way. The one with the bloody nose stood up and swung his fist at me. I caught it mid-swing and kicked him hard in his gut. I saw the guy with the bloody lip reach for his gun that was a foot away from him. I stepped on his wrist and picked it up out of his reach. I emptied all the bullets into my hand. As he stood up, I backhanded him across his face and pointed my sword at his neck.

"That's what you get for threatening to hurt a baby!"

I swung my sword, but he ducked and ran off. His friends followed him.

"That's right, you better run!" I shouted at them angrily

What sort of sick monster threatens to hurt a baby? I was so angry, my arm was shaking. I looked back at the woman who was staring wide-eyed at me. I put my sword down before walking over to her and picked up a small white shoe that was in front of the baby's stroller.

"I'm not going to hurt you, ma'am" I said to her

"You saved our lives" she said "Thank you"

I nodded and held up the shoe.

"May I?" I asked

She blinked before saying sure.

I knelt down and looked at the baby in the stroller. I smiled when I saw the small two year old inside. She had bright green eyes and light brown hair that was pulled back by a barrette. I put her shoe back on her tiny foot.

"We don't want you getting cold now do we?" I said softly

She let out a small laugh. It warmed my heart a little. I stood back up and looked at the woman, who I guessed was her mother.

"She's cute" I commented

"Thank you" she said

I looked at the small girl again before back at her.

"Will you be okay getting home from here?" I asked

"I have a friend who lives across the street" she said

"I'm right here watching in case something happens" I told her

"God bless you, dear" she said, before crossing the street.

I nodded and waited until she was safely inside the house. Raph came out of the bush and raised an eyebrow as I put my sword back in my sheath.

"I guess we have a different opinion when it comes ta kids" he said

"I guess" I agreed "Maybe I'm just better with them than you are"

"Proven when you sweet talked the other two" he said, referring to Nolan and Cole.

"Jade, hey!" Kelsey shouted, waving her hand out of a giant green car.

"Need a lift?" Mikey yelled

Raph and I walked over to them.

"Is this your car?" I asked in amazement.

"Actually, it's called the Battle Shell" Don said as I stepped in.

"Awesome" I said, as I looked around inside "You made all of this?"

"Yes" Don said

"You make other mechanics look like a bunch of idiots" Kelsey said in admiration

I saw him smile at the compliment.

"Where'd you get this car any—" I stopped when I felt my head throb.

Don was saying something, but his words sounded like they were drowning. My eyes began to burn a little too. I exhaled and everything sounded normal again, but my head was still throbbing. It felt like someone was hammering nails into my head.

"Sorry Jade, what'd you say?" Don asked

"Uh, never mind" I said

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" he asked

"No" I said, as Don stopped in front of our building.

"Thanks for the ride" Kelsey said

I said goodnight and headed inside with Kelsey.

"Aw man! I still have homework to finish" she groaned

I laughed, but it made my head throb a little bit more. I tried to ignore it.

"Well, you better get to work on that baby sis" I said, before entering my apartment.

My forehead felt clammy. I think I was coming down with a fever. I was going to have to sleep it off. I changed my clothes and took a painkiller before going to bed.

**End of Chapter 16.**

**Your reviews make me happy and give me motivation! So pleaseeeee review! :D**


	17. Fallen Angel

**Long chapter! Like I said before, I'm changing a few things as far as episodes go so please bear with me. In case any of you are wondering, I'll be posting Nano and Garbageman after this. Here's chapter 17.**

**Enjoy!**

~Jade~

"Morning!" Whitney said

"Hey Whitney" I greeted "Listen, thanks for taking my shift yesterday. I really needed that day off"

"Hey, I'm always fine with making a little extra cash"

"Yeah, well, don't expect more open shifts from me" I said

She laughed before turning back around to face me and frowned.

"You don't look too good. Long night?" she asked

I chuckled. "You have no idea" I said

My headache wasn't any better. In fact, I think I felt a lot worse than I did last night. When I checked my temperature everything seemed fine. I just took another painkiller and came to work. Whitney came with a tray of baked goods and threw them all in the trash.

"Well, that's a waste" I said

"People don't like leftovers" Whitney said "It's a new day, they want fresh"

I began to rinse all the dishes. I soaked a plate in hot water and scrubbed it with the sponge when a painful ache coursed through my head. My hand flew to my head and I dropped the plate. It shattered into small pieces. I shook the pain off and began to pick up the small porcelain bits. Whitney turned around abruptly when she heard the clatter and helped me pick up the pieces.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned

"It slipped from my hands" I said as I reached for a piece that was under the sink.

My finger brushed against the sharp edge and I pulled my hand back.

"Great" I muttered when blood appeared through the cut on my finger.

"Go take care of that. I'll clean up here" she said

"No, I'll do it. I'm the one that made this mess" I said

"Don't be stupid. Just go and take care of that cut before you get it dirty" Whitney said, grabbing the broom.

I gave her a smile before walking towards the ladies room. I kept my finger underneath the cold water and rubbed a little bit of soap on it. I dried it off before looking at it. The sharp edge had made a cut halfway through my finger. Hm? It wasn't as long as I thought it was a second ago, but then it grew smaller…and smaller…and smaller until it was completely gone. The cut had completely disappeared right in front of me. My eyes widened as I looked at the back of my hand before turning my palm up again.

"What the hell?" I said

I squeezed my finger until it turned red, but there was no sign of any blood.

"Amazing isn't it?" someone said

I glanced over at the stalls, but all of them were ajar.

"Hello?" I said "Is someone there?" I asked

"Yes" said an unfamiliar voice.

I looked around me, but the bathroom was empty.

"Where are you?" I said cautiously

"Behind you" she said

I turned with both my hands raised in defense, but it was only a mirror.

"You're not funny" I said out loud.

"I'm not trying to be funny" she replied "I'm standing right in front of you"

I waved my hand in front of me, thinking it would probably hit something invisible, but my hand only hit air.

"No you're not" I said

"Look harder" her voice said

I was looking at my reflection in the mirror. My face was cautious with my hands still held up which was what I was doing. I lowered my hands and stared at myself intently. My reflection blinked, but I didn't. _What the…?_ My reflection's facial expression changed into a smirk, but I wasn't doing that. My eyes widened.

"What are you?" I whispered

"Uh, Jade?"

Whitney was standing by the door and staring at me.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked

I looked back at my reflection and pushed my bangs away from my face. My reflection did the same.

"No one" I answered

"Well, come on. We have to get back to work" she said

"I'm coming" I told her

She held the door open for me and I walked out with her. I shook off a strange chill that went down my spine. _It's all in your head_ I told myself. I spent the rest of the day washing the dirty dishes without breaking any more of them. I couldn't be more relieved when my shift was over. I changed into my suit once I got home headed towards the turtles' lair. They told me to find the warehouse between the streets of Eastman and Laird. Their lair was directly underneath it. I used the roofs to get there since it was still daylight. I looked over at the warehouse from across the street. It looked harmless and really deserted. I jumped down into the middle of the street and ran over to it. There was a window that had planks of wood nailed on it, sealing it tight. I ran behind it to find a back door. It was unlocked. I walked inside and looked around the interior. There was a black Hummer in the middle of the warehouse. It was Kelsey's car. Don appeared from underneath it with a wrench in his hand.

"Hey Don" I said

He came out from underneath it and stood up. He had black marks on his forehead and arms. I grabbed a nearby towel and tossed it to him.

"Jade, I didn't expect you to come back so soon" he said, cleaning off the grease on him.

"Actually, I wanted to talk with your Master Splinter" I said, "What're you doing with Kelsey's car?"

"It needed repairs and I offered to fix it free of charge" he said

"Oh" I said

"Come on, I'll take you down there" Don said

As he said that, a strange glowing chamber came out from under the ground in front of me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Did you make this too?" I asked

"Actually, this came with the lair" he said

"Interesting" I commented as I stepped inside with Donny.

It made a humming sound like an elevator and began to go down. When the chamber door finally opened, I was in the lair.

Splinter was watching Leo practice his ninjitsu. Raph was wrestling with a guy who I remembered was Casey. Mikey was in the entertainment area playing video games. Master Splinter stood up when he saw me and I bowed to him.

"Hello sensei" I said "If you're not busy, may I speak with you?" I asked

"Yes" he answered

There was a clatter behind me. At first I thought my foot knocked over the candle holder, but it had been Raph and Casey. I caught the lit candle a second before it hit the ground. The guy, Casey, stood up.

"Cool reflexes" he commented

Leo walked over to where we were standing.

"Jade, I'd like you to meet our friend Casey" he said

"Jade? Oh you're da one dat—"

Raph elbowed him in his ribs. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Don't worry, he might be a bonehead, but you can trust him" Raph told me

"I definitely hope so" I muttered under my breath

"Leonardo, collect your brothers and continue your practice while Miss. Gallagher and I speak in private"

"Of course sensei" he said

Splinter walked inside his dojo and I followed.

"What is it you would like to speak with me about, Miss. Gallagher?" he asked

"Well, first of all on a much different note, I'd like know how you want me to address you?" I asked politely

He chuckled. "You may call me Master Splinter or sensei" he told me

I nodded to him. "Secondly, um, I know you taught your sons very differently from how my master taught me…" I started.

He waited for me to finish.

"Well, I'm a little rusty when it comes to certain parts of my ninjitsu, like when I was meditating" I said, embarrassed. Meditation wasn't hard for me it was just those weird nightmares that were interrupting my meditation a lot more often than they were before. "Anyway, I just need someone to tell me what I'm doing wrong"

"I would be honored to help you, Jade" he said

"Thank you Master Splinter" I said "So, can I maybe start tomorrow?" I asked

"If you wish" he said in agreement

"Well, that's all I wanted to speak with you about" I said

He opened the door to his dojo and stepped outside.

"My sons, where are you going?" he asked

"Topside sensei," Raph told him

"Purple Dragons got several new initiates to rob a shop" Don replied

_Why is it always Purple Dragons?_ I thought

"Are you coming?" Mikey asked me

I blinked in surprise at the invitation.

"Uh, sure" I said, looking over at their sensei before following them out.

We began to jump from roof to roof until we came to a mini mart that looked like someone had already broken into.

"Alright everyone, class is in session" Leo said

"Lesson one: watch how Purple Dragons get their butt kicked turtle style" Raph said, before looking at me "Why don't you stay here and take notes" he suggested.

I gave him an annoyed look as the four turtles and Casey jumped into the alley. I rubbed my forehead as it began to slightly throb again. Maybe I _should_ sit this one out. I watched as six Purple Dragons walked out the back door. Mikey kicked the first one in the face.

"Now class, who can tell what he, did wrong?" Leo asked, pointing his katana at the one that fell.

"You mean besides being a badly dressed, law breakin', good for nothin', lowlife street punk?" Raph asked sarcastically

_Wow, that was a mouthful _I thought

"Bust 'em up, Dragons!" said the one on the ground as he stood up.

Four of the five Dragons ran towards them. I watched intently as the four turtles and Casey began to fight them. One took cover inside the mini mart. The one that didn't do anything was a girl; she couldn't be more than thirteen years old. _What the hell was she doing with a bunch of gang members?_ She was wearing a sweatshirt with the sleeves ripped off and red pants. Her hair was purple and in two ponytails. _I wish I could pull off purple hair_ I couldn't help but think. She pressed herself against the wall as the others were fighting back. Wow, even I had to admit that I've seen better fighters than this.

"Green beats purple every time!" Mikey exclaimed, as he kicked another goon into the wall barely missing the girl.

Raph came out of nowhere and split kicked two to the ground.

"They'll all be black and blue by the time I'm finished with 'em" Raph said, twirling both sais in his hands

Finally the girl moved and began to run towards the other alley.

"We've got a runner!" Don called out to the others

I ran to the other side and was about to jump in front of her when I saw Casey had blocked her way.

"Goin' somewhere?" Casey said, holding his hockey stick.

The girl moaned and looked up at him. Casey hesitated.

"Angel?" he said.

I raised both my eyebrows. Did Casey know this girl? Another guy came from behind him.

"Casey, behind you!" I shouted

He ducked and shoved him into a wall. The girl began to climb the fence, when she was almost the top I was about to jump down again when Casey grabbed her ankle.

"Let go of me, creep!" she shouted, as she tried to kick him.

"Angel wait, it's me, Casey" he said, taking off his hockey mask

Okay, so they definitely knew each other.

"Casey?" she said, confused.

The girl, Angel, jumped down from the fence. I crouched down on the wall and listened to what they were saying.

"What're you doing here?" she asked

"Stoppin' you from makin' da biggest mistake of your life!" Casey replied sharply

She looked like she was about to laugh.

"What? The Purple Dragons? No, they're my posse" she laughed "My family"

"You got real family at home" he said genuinely

"Yeah? Well, who asked you, loser!" she snapped

I was surprised when she shouted at him.

"If I want to be a Purple Dragon, it's my own business!" she said

"Until you start breakin' the law, then it's my business" he said, pointing his hockey stick at the bag of money she had stolen.

Angel grabbed the back and held it against her chest.

"Yeah, well, I don't see no badge on you" she retorted

_That's because he's a vigilante. _I thought

"And I don't see no dragon on you. Not yet" he said "So why don't you quit while ya still got a chance?"

No offense to Casey, but what made him think that she would listen to him? It sounded to me like this girl knew what she wanted and that was to be a Purple Dragon. I couldn't help but pity her if she thought of a bunch of gang members as her family.

"I ain't quitten nothin'! Tonight was my first test, tomorrow I pass my initiation and then I'm gonna wear my dragon with pride" she said proudly

I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing! She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"Dat dragon comes with a price. You don't know whatcha gettin' yourself messed up in" he told her.

"Yeah…maybe you're, _right_!" she hit him in the face with the bag of money she had and jumped on the top of the fence and running away.

I jumped off the top of the building and knelt down next to Casey

"Casey, are you okay?" I asked, pulling him up

"Casey, what happened? Who was that girl?" Raph asked, coming behind me

He stood up and picked up his hockey mask.

"Her name's Angel. I know her from da neighborhood. I promised her grandma I'd keep an eye on her. Keep her outta trouble" he said

"So she's a Purple Dragon?" Leo asked

"Not if I can help it" Casey said angrily

"What makes you think you can talk her out of it?" I asked

Casey gave me a look.

"What?" he asked

"Not to be a bitch or anything, Casey, but sounds to me like she already made up her mind about who's her family" I said truthfully "And she sounds pretty committed to becoming a Purple Dragon"

He looked at me angrily.

"She's got bettah role models at home for her" he snapped "Sounds to me like you didn't have any. Especially since your mom didn't go out lookin' for you when ya ran away"

I blinked at what he said and looked at the turtles. Mikey laughed nervously.

"Casey!" Don gasped

"Its okay, Don. I don't need you to defend me" I said calmly, but Casey's comment really hit me hard. I was angry.

"Did I touch a nerve" Casey teased

I smiled. "No Casey, you didn't touch a nerve. You just touched the big 'Do Not Press' button" I said, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and shoved him against the wall "If you _ever _say a word against my mother again" I threatened "I'll _murder_ you"

I let go of his shirt and turned to look at the four turtles.

"I see Kelsey's been talking to you guys" I said coolly, before storming out of the alley.

"Jade, hang on" Leo said, running behind me "Casey didn't mean what he said"

"Yeah, well, he said it" I replied "And I guess Kelsey's been telling you things too"

"It was actually Mikey that told Casey, we told him not…"

He was saying something else, but I couldn't hear him because my ears sounded like they were drowning again. My eyes began to burn. I wasn't about to cry. It was going to have to take a lot more than Casey's comment to make me cry. I held onto the wall for support as my vision turned into a tinted red and the round end of my fingers turned sharp and white. I balled my hand into a fist and held it against my chest so Leo wouldn't see it. My tinted red vision slowly faded back to normal. Cold sweat clung to my forehead and felt clammy.

"I have to go" I told him and ran home.

I jumped through my window and yanked the curtains over it before running to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror. My heart was racing, but nothing happened.

*Next day*

After work, I headed straight towards the turtles' lair which happened to be deserted. There wasn't anyone in sight.

"Master Splinter?" I called

No answer. Maybe I should just wait. I walked over to the punching bag that had stuffing from the inside poking out of it. Casey's comment was still slightly bothering me, but not as much as it was when he first said it. Though, his comment brought up that one question again _Did she still love me? _That question was bothering me more than anything. I could care less about what Kelsey's father thought of me. I knew exactly what he thought. A disgrace. The number of times he said it to me felt like a thousand. I would give anything to see my mother's face again. I would love to see her smile proudly, the way she did when I won my first volleyball game. Or when I was six and she would wrap her arms protectively around me when I crawled into bed next to her after I had a bad dream. She would always know the right thing to say every time Kelsey and I would get into a fight. I even loved the defensive nature she had like grandma. Though, all of that was far in the past. Did she love or even care about me almost three years ago. I threw one hard punch at the punching bag. _That felt good_. A thought struck me.

"The stronger I get, the sooner I can face Saki" I said to myself

I rolled up my sleeves and put my right foot back before raising my fists. I punched the bag continuously and threw in a hard kick every other time. I used as much force as I could in my kick. A pain would course from my foot to my ankle and up my leg. That only told me to kick faster and harder. I threw in a different combination kick too. Mainly I just focused on my punching. Every time I pulled my hand back my knuckles stung and I only punched harder. My fists began to feel numb so I started to use my forearm to strike instead. I didn't know how much time passed. I stopped once to catch my breath and examined my knuckles. They were raw and bleeding. That was how I felt on the inside when I first saw blood stained on the carpet in my living room. I pulled back my hair. _Why hadn't I done anything!?_

"_Stupid!_" I shouted at myself, as I used all the strength in my arm and threw a hard punch at the bag. An unpleasant sensation vibrated through my wrist, up my arm and to my shoulder.

"There is much anger in you"

I turned around to see Master Splinter standing behind me.

"Sensei, I…I didn't hear you come in"

He came and stood next to the punching back.

"I would like to know what you were doing just now" he said

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "I was just getting in a little bit of practice" I said

He blinked. "It seemed to me like you were punishing yourself, just now"

I threw a high roundhouse kick at the bag. "Maybe that too" I answered

"May I ask if this has anything to do with the tension between you and your sister?"

I paused. So he did see that. Though, I don't think I should be surprised that he saw or even sensed it, I would've thought it'd be too obvious. I guess not if the turtles didn't see it.

"No" I answered "Kelsey's not exactly my biggest fan when it comes to my ninjitsu training"

"She dislikes it" he stated

"I think she can tolerate it now, but yes she dislikes it" I said

"From what I've heard my sons say, you fled from your family"

"I didn't!" I shouted. My hand flew to my mouth and shame washed over me. "Sensei, I'm sorry I…I didn't mean to shout" I said shamefully, as I sat down on the step and pressed my fist to my forehead.

He stood in front of me and stared at me.

"Grief, anger, and guilt" he said "Why do I sense guilt?" he asked

I looked up at him "Master Splinter, there's no greater guilt than seeing someone dead or about to be killed and knowing you could've done something to help them, but you either hid or stood by because of fear it might happen to you. But the worst part is when they know you could've helped them and you didn't do anything" I said painfully

He knelt down in front of me and looked at me. "You should not have to carry this burden upon your shoulders"

"I've tried to let it go, but the guilt is still there" I said

"I will help you ease yourself of that burden" Splinter said "Come let us begin our training"

The turtles walked in not long after with their Battle Shell. I was surprised they were able to get it through the door. Don told me he was working on a remote signal for it. Leo sat down on the couch with a book and Raph took my place by the punching bag.

Splinter began to help me on things I already knew like stealth and basic kicks. After a while he let me rest and I headed into the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. My reflection smirked at me again.

"You're not real" I said

"Oh, I'm as real as you" she said

I heard the start of an engine outside. I guess Don got the car working.

"I know everything about you. From what happened to you almost three years ago to your favorite color"

"Shut up" I snapped at her.

I widened my eyes. I was talking to myself in the mirror. Okay, now I was officially going crazy. I threw cold water in my face before I opened the door just in time to see the Battle Shell crash into Don's desk by the wall. The whole lair was a mess.

"Whoa, what'd I miss?" I asked Leo

"Nothing much" he said

I saw Don hit Mikey on the side of his head.

"Okay, what'd he do?" I asked

"Take a wild guess" Raph said sarcastically, gesturing to the room

I stayed and helped them clean up the lair for a little bit before heading home. As soon as I stepped inside my apartment, Leo called me. I walked to my room before answering it.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Jade, listen, Casey's in trouble he was caught by Purple Dragons" he said "Look, I know you're probably still mad at him, but—"

"Where is he?" I interrupted

"The old warehouse on Hoover Street" he said

"I'll meet you over there" I replied before hanging up.

I went over to my closet, but I didn't pull out my ninja suit only my mask. I looked through my wardrobe. Ninja rule number two: Blend with your environment.

~Turtles~

"Okay, I knew Casey hung out with some weird dudes but you guys are off the charts" Angel said

"No way am I goin' out like this" Raph objected

He was wearing sweatpants, hoodie and a jacket on top of that with sunglasses.

"Tell me people don't really dress this way" Raph said

Mikey seemed pretty amused by how Raph was dressed.

"It's a good look for ya Raph, kind of a hip hop, cat burglar, storm trooper thing" Mikey joked

"Don't laugh green boy, you're next" Angel said, placing clothes in his lap.

"Is this it?" Don asked

Angel walked over next to Don's seat.

"Yeah, that's it" Angel told him

Don parked the Battle Shell not far in an abandoned alley.

"Jade might be in there already" Leo said

"I'll call her and find out" Don replied, dialing the number into his shell cell and put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

Don and Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Uh…Kelsey? Is Jade there?" Leo asked

"She left about an hour ago, but she forgot her phone" she explained

"Great" Raph muttered sarcastically "Now how are we supposed ta find her?"

"Oh, she won't be too hard to find. She's the one that's wearing a short top" she explained

"That's not exactly helpful" Don said

"Trust me, you'll find her" Kelsey replied

"We're gonna take your word for it" Leo told her

Don and Leo changed into their human garb and followed Angel out of the car.

"Just be cool and follow my lead" she told them

A guy with a pipe was standing by the fence, guarding. Angel casually walked up to him and raised three fingers while the turtles raised their whole hand.

"Good thing it's only a three fingered salute" Mikey whispered to Raph

They walked inside the warehouse and almost all the Purple Dragons had some kind of weapon in their hand. They followed Angel to the benches and looked around the room. They couldn't see Jade anywhere. How were they supposed to find Casey here?

"Yeesh, it's like we walked into an ugly convention" Mikey whispered to Raph

"Hey, then you must feel right at home, Mikey" Raph whispered back.

"Knock it off you guys" Don told them "I'm trying to blend here" he said, crossing his arms in front of him

A girl in front of them turned around and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Aw, come on you guys, we can't be _that_ ugly" she said

Mikey lowered his sunglasses halfway.

"Jade, is that you?" he asked in disbelief.

"Is it that hard to tell?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips

She was wearing a black crop top with purple pants and gloves with the fingers cut off.

"Whoa, I didn't even recognize you!" Mikey said

"And that's a good thing. Ninja rule number two: blend with your environment" she said

She turned back to look at the fight happening in the arena. Raph crossed his arms. "You really wanna look like a Purple Dragon, try getting' your butt kicked by a ninja turtle" he muttered

"I'm down with that" Mikey agreed, bumping his fist with Raph's

They watched as one guy threw the other out of the ring.

"Alright guys, take note. We've got exits there and there" he said, pointing at either side of him "Guards posted around the perimeter. Everyone's pretty heavily armed so can we _try_ to avoid a fight?" Leo asked

The other five shared a mutual look. Jade's eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh god! Hide me" she said, as she hid behind the other three turtles.

Leo turned around and saw a Purple Dragon walking towards them, but he wasn't paying any attention to them.

"Hey, you made it" he said to Jade

She stood up straight and gave him a fake smile.

"Dave" she said through clenched teeth.

"I was beginning to think you forgot about me" he said

"Well, I didn't" she said, again with gritted teeth.

He put his arm around her neck.

"So what'd you say we get this show on the road?" he said, leading her to the back

"Whatever you say" she said uncomfortably "Help me" she whispered loudly to them.

~Jade~

Dave led me to the back alley and handed me a beer.

"I'm not much of a drinker" I told him

He shrugged. "Fine by me. You want it clean?"

I threw the beer aside and put my hands on my hips.

"Look buddy, I change my mind okay? There's no way I'm gonna do anything with you"

I turned to walk back inside but he grabbed my arms and shoved me against the wall. He grinned. "I bet you'll change your mind after this"

I turned my face away when he tried to kiss me. He was drunk. I could smell the beer every time he breathed. I kneed him in his gut and pushed him away. I turned to walk back inside again, but he grabbed my ankle.

"Bad move" he told me

He was on the ground again when someone kicked him in the head.

"Don't get the message? Let me spell it out for ya. When the lady says no, she means no" Raph said, throwing him against the wall and Dave slumped to the ground.

"Thanks Raph" I said

"Do I even want ta know?" Raph asked

"No" I told him

When we walked back inside I saw Hun inside a cage that came down on the ring. Casey was hanging upside down and strapped down on some kind of platform.

"Tonight's caged match championship will determine which team will win the honor of ridding the Purple Dragons of a most hated enemy" he said in the microphone.

"Lousy thugs! I got your most hated enemy right here" Raph said loudly, pulling out his sais.

I looked around to see if anyone had heard him. Leo lowered Raph's arm.

"Easy Raph, let's not blow our cover just yet"

I watched as Hun put a hockey mask over Casey's face and everyone around us began to cheer.

"So let's get ready to battle it out for the shot at the vigilante!" someone else screamed through a microphone over their heads.

Casey was hovering over the cage and hung there. Several people ran towards the cage.

"Come on! There's got to be more takers than that. The honor of the Dragon is at stake here!"

They pulled poor Casey higher above the cage.

"Oh man" I said, as I watched him hang there

"How are we gonna get him down from there?" Don said out loud

"I know how to get to the catwalk" Angel told them

"Go with her. Nothing fancy just stick to the shadows and cut him loose" Leo told Mikey, Don and me

"What are you two gonna do?" Mikey asked

Leo looked over at the cage then at the spotlight.

"We'll make sure that spotlight stays on the cage" he said quietly

Don, Mikey, and I followed Angel up to the catwalk. Two Purple Dragons were watching down at the fight below them.

"We just have to take out those two goons without drawing too much attention"

"In other words, take them out ninja style" I said, crouching down between the two turtles.

"Right" he said

"Any bright ideas?" Mikey asked

Don pressed a finger to his chin. "Yeah, a real bright idea" he said pointing at a stage light.

I looked over the edge and saw Raph take out three guys in matter of one minute. _He did realize he's supposed to buy time for us, right? _I thought. Angel quietly crept next to the light.

"Psst! Hey guys, lights up!" she said, as she shined the light in their faces.

Don and Mikey took them out and I pulled them out of the way before anyone could see.

"Angel thanks for droppin' by and ya brought company!" Casey said

"Hey, what're friends for?" Don told him as he pulled the lever and the cable pulled Casey towards the catwalk.

We loosened his shackles and slowly set him down on the ground.

"Sit still for a minute" I told him

He glanced at me as if to ask why I was here. I gave him a small shrug. Mikey pulled out a baseball bat from his jacket and handed it to Casey. I looked over the edge to see Leo running towards one guy and another running close behind him. Leo slid between his legs and both of them ran into each other. He was saying something to Raph, but I couldn't hear them over the noise. Raph kicked the guy he was fighting in the gut and faced his brother. A guy grabbed Raph by the front of the jacket he was wearing and spun him right out of them.

"Oh no!" I gasped

I took my mask out of my pocket and pulled it on before jumping off the catwalk into the cage. I landed on my feet next to Leo. The crowd began to murmur.

"Hey, it's one of dem kung fu lizards!" someone shouted.

"Turtles. _Turtles!_ Don't any ya lamebrains know a turtle when ya see one?!" Raph shouted, annoyed

"He obviously didn't finish elementary school" I said to both of them

"Tell me about it" Raph said sarcastically, as he kicked away the goon that attacked him earlier

"Uh, guys, I think the biology lesson is the least of our problems right now" Leo said, as Hun came to the caged door and shook it like an angry gorilla until it broke off. "Jade, get out of here" he told me

"You don't have to tell me twice" I muttered as I ran to the darker part of the cage and ran through the broken door. Hun was the closest link to Saki. If he recognized me, he would definitely tell his master.

There was too much noise. It was making my head ache. No, my head was throbbing once again. I took cover behind the benches and clutched my head tightly. My eyes burned so badly they began to water. What was happening to me?

"What's wrong with you?" someone said

"Stay away from me!" I snarled, I heard shouts and screams and then I blacked out…

I opened my eyes again, just in time to see Hun being thrown backwards towards the benches I was hiding behind. Luckily, my ninja reflexes took over and I moved away just in time. I felt dizzy and lightheaded. A bunch of Purple Dragons were surrounding the four turtles in the ring. The Battle Shell came crashing through the wall. All the Purple Dragons began to run off. Casey approached Hun with his baseball bat.

"This one's for my dad" he said, raising the bat.

Angel stopped him.

"Angel, what're you doin'?" he demanded

"Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life" she said

Casey's angry face turned into a smile. "Thanks" he told her

"Hey, what're friends for" she said

I took off my mask and began to walk out through the giant hole in the wall. I was walking on the sidewalk when the Battle Shell stopped in front of me.

"Need a lift?" Leo asked

"Actually, I think I'm gonna walk home" I said

"Are you sure? We'll pass right by your building" Don said

"I'm sure. I just need to clear my head" I replied "I'll see you guys later"

They drove off and I headed to my apartment. When I walked inside Kelsey had left me a note on the coffee table.

_Spaghetti's in the fridge. I figured you'd be too tired to make something once you came home :)_

I smiled and headed into my bathroom and changed into more comfortable clothes. I was about to walk out when I heard someone sing.

"I know what you did" she sang

I turned back to look at my reflection sneering at me.

"What?" I said

"I know what you did" she sang

"Okay, I'll bite. What did I do?"

"That's simple. _I_ know what you did. _You_ know what you did" she sang

"Where did you come from?" I asked

"Think Jade. Think back, not day before yesterday but before that. Before your sister met the frogs"

"Turtles" I corrected

"Whatever. Think back, do you remember what happened?"

I began to think back to the day before Kelsey met the turtles. I widened my eyes and looked back at the mirror.

"Bishop" I whispered

"Bingo!" she sang "He created me and now I live in your head. I'm real, Jade! So get used to it" she said

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. I was staring at myself again. My heart raced.

"Oh no" I whispered as I watched my eyes turn blood red and pupils turn into slits and then go back to normal.

**End of Chapter 17.**

**I tried to make it as interesting as I could. Hope I succeeded. Please review! **


	18. Nano

**Chapter 18:**

**You guys should know, as I continue writing, things are going to get darker. Not yet, but soon. I'll let you know before you read the chapter. Thank you movielover123456, FanO'theNinja121, georgeisthewin, and Mikey3Lover for reviewing! I would really appreciate more from everyone! :) Here is Chapter 18. Enjoyyy!**

~Jade~

"I'll see you tomorrow!" I called to Whitney

"Alright, bye!" she called back

I put my hands in my pocket and began to walk home. I was passing by a stand where a guy was selling small robot toys. He was wearing a worn tan coat with a red shirt.

"Hey, new side bots are here get 'em while they're hot!" he said

I looked down and watched as two toy robots walked back and forth. The edge of my mouth twitched as I pinched my locket between my thumb and finger. He would've loved to have one of these.

"Hey, you buyin' or what?" he asked

"I'm just looking" I said politely

His face suddenly turned sour when I said that.

"Then look elsewhere kid, if you're buyin' 'em then buy 'em if not keep movin'. Go find someone else's time to waste" he spat

I blinked at his rudeness. He wasn't going to get anyone to buy them if he kept talking to people like that. I walked away without another word. I was about to cross an alley when a big green truck and a guy on a motorcycle drove pass me and into the alley. Four turtles jumped out from the back. Mikey waved at me. I raised an eyebrow and walked over to them.

"Hey Jade! What's up?" Mikey asked

"Nothing, I was just heading home. What're you doing here?" I asked

"Our friend needed help opening her antique shop. Hey, you should meet her!" Mikey said enthusiastically "She's real great, you'll love her!"

I hesitated. Mikey walked to the door and knocked loudly. A tall woman appeared at the door. She had dark red hair that was in a bun and a loose lock of hair on either side of her face and green eyes. She was wearing a short purple top with brown pants and tennis shoes.

"Hi April! Green brothers, movers, and shlepers reporting for duty"

"Hey guys! Thanks for coming I need all the help I can get. Mike, you could start moving those big heavy boxes" she said

"Just let me put on my hernia trust" he said jokingly before walking inside

"Right over there, wise guy" she said "Plus I got a heater that won't heat"

"Hence these" Don said, showing her a few pipes he had in his hand

Leo nudged me from behind. "Don't worry, you can trust her" he whispered to me before walking forward.

"You two, that whole wall of antique needs moving _carefully_" she emphasized

"Hey, I'm a ninja not a—" Raph said

"You're wish is our command" Leo said, pushing Raph forward

I hesitated again before walking inside behind Casey. April turned around.

"You're…not a turtle" she said to him

"Uh, definitely not" Casey said

"Hope you don't mind, but we brought along a few friends" Leo said

April held her hand out to Casey.

"Yo" Casey said, waving his hand "Casey. Casey Jones. Hey, uh, nice junk" he said, walking inside the shop.

April walked behind him. Well, this was amusing.

"It was my dad's. The shop I mean, I'm reopening it until I figure out what to do with myself. My last job ended kind of…weirdly" April explained

"Oh I get it" Casey said "While you're waitin' for a real job ta come along, you're jus' hidin' out in yo pop's junk shop, dats cool"

April looked pretty offended when he said that. It was a nice shop, it had a few cool things.

"It's an _antique_ shop and I'm not hiding from anything" she said defensively

"Whateva babe" he said

"_Babe_?" she demanded

Casey walked over to where Raph was struggling with moving a cabinet.

"Hey Raph, dats a two man job" he saw as he helped him lift the heavy cabinet.

"Guys, careful, that's really rare—"

The porcelain china fell on the floor and broke into pieces.

"…antique china"

I slowly began to back out the door when she saw me.

"Oh, hi!" April said to me

I stopped walking and smiled at her. "Hi" I said back

"I didn't forget about you" she laughed before holding her hand out to me "April O'Neil" she said

I shook it "Jade Gallagher" I told her

"So, you're reopening the shop?" I asked her

"Yeah, I needed these guys to help me out" April said, gesturing towards the turtles "Maybe except him" she said quietly, as she looked over at Casey

"It's a nice store" I commented

There was _ding-a-ling _and the turtles jumped into hiding. It was Lauren who walked in along with another guy.

"Can I help you?" April asked

"Yeah, my grandmother's in town. She likes old junk, so I thought maybe she would like something from here"

_Wow, seriously Lauren? _She glared when she saw me. I waved back sweetly, just to annoy her. She began to look around the shop and I seated myself on a stool by the glass case display. I watched as Lauren frowned at everything she picked up and every time she picked up the next item her frown just grew even bigger.

"Do you have anything better to choose from?" Lauren asked

"Actually I'm just starting to reopen the shop, but, um, we have some stuff over here" April said kindly

The guy Lauren was with approached me. He smirked.

"I found something good right here" he said

_Seriously? _I thought, annoyed. I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry pal, I'm not for sale" I retorted

Lauren came and pulled him away by his arm.

"Come on Greg, I think there are better shops around the corner" she said, before turning back to me. "You can never and _will_ never deserve a guy like my brother, honey" she snapped at me in a whisper.

"_Honey_" I imitated her in an annoying nasal voice "Bitch"

Lauren stopped by the door. "What did you call me?" she demanded

"Witch" I answered

"Oh yeah, well it sure as hell sounded like you said bitch to me" she said

"Oh, you're right. I did" I said, pretending to correct myself

She stormed towards me as if she was going to hit me. A hockey stick came in between us before she could and stopped both of us.

"Ladies, please, put da claws away"

Lauren glared from him to me before storming out the shop after her brother.

"Okaay, what the shell was that all about?" Mikey asked

"A co-worker of mine. Sorry," I added to April "Usually I wouldn't do that with anyone, but she was just being a bitch to you. I hate people like that. I actually have to be on my way home, um, it was nice meeting you Miss. O'Neil"

"You can call me April" she said "And it was nice meeting you too" she agreed

I was passing the old warehouse that belonged to the Purple Dragons and felt a weird vibe. Something just felt wrong. I didn't want to get myself into anymore trouble, so I kept walking. I unlocked the door to my apartment and walked into the kitchen and warmed up the leftover spaghetti even though I wasn't really that hungry. When I ate the last of it, instead of tasting tomato sauce, I tasted blood. I spat out the food from my mouth and ran to the bathroom to examine my tongue. I saw small hints of blood appear, but they closed as soon as I saw them, the same way they did when I cut my finger. The only problem was that I didn't bite my tongue, but my teeth ached. What was happening to me? One day I would feel completely fine, but the next something really weird happens. I needed air. Instead of waiting for it to turn dark, I changed into my suit and grabbed my katana before heading out

O-0-o

I was out for maybe an hour or two and it had gotten dark. I saw someone standing on top of a chimney across April's shop. When I came close enough, I saw it was Casey. He was wearing his hockey mask and had his hockey stick in his hand.

"What're you doing up here?" I asked

He jumped before turning around to face me. "Geez, give me a heart attack why don't ya?" he said sarcastically

"Sorry" I said

"April's kinda worried 'bout all da robberies goin' 'round, so I'm just watchin' her shop from here" he explained

"Oh" I said before nodding to him. I was about to go on my way, but stopped and faced him again.

"Look Casey, I'm sorry about what I said the other day" I said, coming next to him and sitting on the low wall.

"It ain't ya fault. I didn't mean wha' I said either, I was jus' worried 'bout Angel that's all" he said "Jus' worried 'bout her becoming Purple scum"

He didn't say it in so many words, but I could tell he was trying to apologize too.

"You're forgiven" I told him "Angel's lucky to have a friend like you"

I saw him blink behind his mask as if he was surprised by what I just said. It was the truth though. I could see Casey as a big brother figure for Angel. He didn't seem like such a bad guy once you knew him well enough.

"So…I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but what do you have against Hun?" I asked "I mean, before Angel stopped you from whacking him with the bat—"

"Wait a sec. Ya know Hun?" he asked

"I know him real well, actually" I replied "You said 'this one's for my dad', did Hun do something? I mean, if you don't want to tell me I can completely understand"

"Yeah, he did somethin'" he said, he sounded like he was far away as if he was reliving it "Couple of Purple Dragon scum were askin' my Dad fo' money years ago, I was a kid. When he didn't pay up, they torched our store"

I pursed my lips. I wish I could say I knew how he felt, but I couldn't. We obviously had very different relationships when it came to our dads. I regretted asking him that question. I couldn't imagine what it could've been like for Casey as a kid to see his father being threatened for money. Though I could definitely understand now why he was so headstrong. I nudged his leg.

"I'm sorry about your dad, Casey" I said after a while

"Thanks" he said

"So are we cool?" I asked

He looked down at me. "Yeah, we're cool" he responded "Whoa, do you see dat?"

"What?" I said, but I saw what he did as soon as I said it.

There was a man standing by April's shop with a bag over his shoulder. He had a small kid with him that was just below his waist.

"Looks like da robber ta me" Casey said "Let's do it dis way, you're da good cop and I'm da bad cop" he said

"Wait, but why does he have a little kid with him?" I said

Casey didn't seem to hear me and jumped down on the sidewalk. I rolled my eyes and followed him. When I came close enough I saw that the little kid was a small robot. It was wearing various masks, the kinds you would usually see in a theater arts class or something. Casey approached the robber.

"So, what's your story gonna be?" Casey said forcefully

I casually stood behind him and let him be the 'bad cop'. He used his hockey stick to grab the strap of the robber's bag and grabbed him by his shirt. The robot's face changed into a mask that showed a distressed face.

"Doin' some afta hour shoppin' pal?" Casey demanded "C'mon fess up!"

The small robot ran past my legs towards the car behind me. I couldn't exactly tell what happened, but the robot came apart and started to shift parts of the car around.

"Uh, Casey…?" I said, taking out my sword

He turned around and stared as the robot went from being two feet tall to at least nine feet tall. One of the tires became like a rotator and revolved the masks around. Casey and I began to slowly back away. The robot's head revolved to an angry face.

"Uh-oh" Casey said, before being knocked feet backwards into garbage bags.

The robot had swung its hand and swatted me against the wall, before returning its attention back on Casey. I shook my head, dazed before standing up again. The robot came walking back out of alley next to the robber. As I stood up and grabbed my sword, four turtles had suddenly jumped in front of me.

"Okay…" Leo said "What is that? Donny?"

"Uh, insufficient data, boss" Don replied

The guy suddenly threw his hands up and hid behind the robot's legs the same way a shy kid would hide behind his mother. "This can't be happenin'" he stammered "Martians! Just when things are finally going my way, w-we get invaded! Don't let 'em take me kid"

Seriously? This guy thought they were _Martians_? Sure they were green skinned but does no one notice the shells? They were turtles! It wasn't hard to guess. Don wasn't exaggerating when he said people mistook them for bugs, lizards etc.

"Okay, New York is seriously lacking its biology courses" I said, annoyed

The turtles and I jumped out of the way as the robot lunged forward.

"Jade, you can write a letter ta the mayor later" Raph said, before lunging towards the robot.

Raph attacked the robot with his sais, but it didn't do any good. It probably left scratches, but that's it. The robot had taken a giant step forward, but Raph had luckily jumped out of the way in time. Mikey was next to attack him with his nun chucks, but the robot swatted him away like a fly next to Donny. My head began to throb slightly again. _Oh god, not now! _I ignored the throb as I saw the robot throw a punch towards Leo, but he had slid in between the robot's legs. The robot was about to lunge towards Mikey again, but Don came behind it and burned its back with a blow torch. It screamed in pain and knocked Donny away.

"Don't let them aliens get ya kid! Knock 'em flat!" the robber shouted

"What do you know about this?" Leo demanded.

The robber backed away with his hands up as if he was surrendering "Help kid!" he yelled

I took this as my opportunity to attack the robot from behind.

"Daddy!" it cried

I stopped. Did it just speak? He sounded like a small innocent toddler. Did it just call the robber _'daddy'_? I just stood there frozen as if my feet were stuck to the ground. It grabbed Mikey, Leo and Raph all at once and threw them against the wall, before grabbing the robber and running off. I jumped out of its path before he could step on me.

"What was that thing?" April asked coming out the back door.

I didn't answer. I ran to the end of the alley, but he was gone. He sounded so…childish. An odd chill ran through my spine. I felt like someone had thrown icy water over my head. Donny came and picked up something next to my foot.

"Hey guys, this stuff is moving!" he said, holding up the piece of scrap metal.

I stared down the street where the robot had run down. I knew what everyone around me was saying but I hardly paid attention. Everyone walked back inside and I was the last to follow.

O-0-o

Donny was examining what he found in a microscope. April had wrapped Casey in bandages, but I think everyone except April knew that he was faking. I was leaning against the wall, absentmindedly twisting my finger around my locket. I tried listening to everything that was being said, but it was hard to.

"Whoa, talk about something you don't see everyday!" Don exclaimed

"What did you find?" Mikey asked

"Take a look" Don told him, stepping away

"Ew! What are they?" Mikey exclaimed, as he looked through the microscope.

"Nanobots" Don responded "Microscopic robots all working together"

"Are they dangerous?" Raph asked

"They're moving randomly, probably when they were cut off from the main group they became mindless, unmotivated" he explained

"Oh, like when Raph goes solo. He becomes mindless, unmotivated" Mikey joked, pointing a finger in his brother's face.

Normally I would've laughed, but I just wasn't feeling it at the moment.

"Speakin' of mindless" Raph said, swatting away Mikey's hand "Did that thing seem kinda lost ta you?" Raph asked

"Yeah" Mikey agreed "Like a little kid"

Little kid. Those were the two words that really stuck to me. Little kid. I crossed my legs over one another and stared at the ground. My teeth were beginning to ache again. Why were my teeth aching?

"Uh-oh, it's making a copy of itself. And if each nanobot makes a copy of itself and the copies make copies, this thing could really become unstoppable" Don said

"Then we stop it now" Leo said "Is there any way to trace this thing?"

"The nanobots have a unique power signature. Maybe the tracker in the Battle Shell could get a lock on it"

"What's happens when we find robo-boy?" Mikey asked

"Well, as much as it pains me to destroy such amazing technology it does seem to be susceptible to extreme heat" he said as he burned the sample with the blow torch.

I felt a pair of eyes staring at me.

"You've been really quiet, Jade" Leo said

"You guys aren't actually planning to hurt this thing, are you?" I asked

"If it's going around causing trouble we have to stop it" Don said

"It's a kid!" I said, earning suspicious looks but I didn't care "You guys wouldn't hurt a kid, would you"

"Sounds ta me like you forgot it tried ta turn you into a human pancake an hour ago"

"I didn't forget" I said defensively "Maybe we could just teach it right from wrong. We don't have to hurt it"

I earned suspicious looks from everyone around me. Don turned around as he put his microscope back in his duffel bag. Leo raised an eyebrow at me.

"Jade, what's the big deal?" he asked

Everyone's eyes were on me as they waited for me to answer. I didn't say anything.

"Never mind" I said dismissively "Let me just clean up real fast, I'll meet you at your truck" I said as I headed towards the bathroom.

I turned on both faucets and stared at myself in the mirror. _It's just a robot _I told myself. My teeth suddenly began to ache again as if someone was stabbing needles into my gums. _It's just a robot, not a real kid_ I told myself again. _Real enough. You don't want to hurt it _another voice told me. My teeth began to ache even more! I looked at them in the mirror as I saw a new set of teeth in my mouth. They were razor sharp and definitely not mine! I screamed at the sight of them and backed away from the mirror. I could hear voices outside as if they were right next to me. When did my ears become so sensitive?

"I heard her scream" April said

"I ain't hear anythin'" I heard Casey say from the other room

"Jade, is everything okay?" she asked

I looked at my teeth in the mirror and they were normal again. I shuddered before opening the door. April's face was full of concern.

"I'm fine. I just saw a spider" I lied

I didn't know if she believed me or not, but it didn't exactly matter to me. I walked past her and out the door to the turtles' Battle Shell. I didn't want them to hurt the giant robot. I should try talking to it. It sounded like a stupid idea, but it was still a little kid. How do I talk to it before they hurt it? But if the robot didn't want to understand, then it left me no choice. I honestly hoped it didn't come to that. I put my mask back on and ran out the door.

O-0-o

"We're almost on top of it" Don said as he looked at the locator "Should be right through there" he said

I stood up as their car crashed through the fence of a junkyard. I jumped out before the car came to a stop. I ran towards the back of the pile of junk. _Okay, if I was a giant robot in a junkyard, where would I be hiding?_ I sensed something move behind me. I turned around and held my katana in front of me in defense. The robot raised its hand as it was about to hit me. I backed away slowly.

"I don't want to hurt you" I said to it

It stopped and stared at me, confused. I backed away a little farther and it watched me intently as I set my katana down, showing that I meant it no harm. I put both my hands over my heart.

"Friend" I told it

It looked at me, confused once again, but its face turned into a smiling on.

"Friend?" he asked

"Yes" I said, relieved "Yes. Friend, honey. My name's Jade. What's your name?" I asked slowly

"Name?" it said

"Yeah, honey" I said "Mine's Jade. Do you have a name? Is it Nanobot?"

I didn't get a reply. It just stared at me.

"No? Is it Nano? Can I call you that, sweetheart?" I asked "Is it okay, if I call you Nano?"

It smiled once again. "Nano" it repeated

I smiled back at it. The robber suddenly came out of nowhere and stood between us. I recognized him as the rude man I encountered earlier.

"Don't listen to her, kid! She's with those alien freaks. She's tryna take you away from me!"

"What? No!" I objected "Nano, he's lying to you"

It looked from its "father" to me and it was pretty obvious who he believed. I grabbed my katana and ran around the piles of junk as it lunged at me. I stepped feet away as I watched it attract any kind of metal junk like a magnet and it grew bigger… and bigger. Instead of it having a rotator for a head, it had a screen to show its face. I backed into someone and felt their hands rest on my shoulder.

"And now, I'm getting an even badder feeling about this" Mikey said behind me.

_He's not the only one_ I thought. It let out the loudest and most disturbing scream I've ever heard.

"Anyone wanna tell me how to do this?" Mikey asked

"Like we always do. Hit it so fast it can't rebuild itself" Leo said

The turtles suddenly attacked all at once. I aimed for its legs when the robber grabbed my wrist.

"Oh no ya don't" he said

"Let go of me you creep!" I snapped as I twisted his wrist and threw him into a pile of junk.

I turned my attention back to the robot to see what had happened. I saw that Nano's hand had fallen off and he let out another scream. Nano reached down and fixed its hand back to its arm with the hardly visible nanobots. It flexed its fingers before reaching down and grabbing Mikey.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted and swung his sword, but it collided with mine as I tried to do the same thing he did.

"I'm coming Mikey!" Don yelled as jumped out of the Battle Shell with the blow torch.

"Make it quick" Mikey said, as he dangled upside down from Nano's hand "I'm gonna hurl. Literally!"

"Put him down, Nano!" I commanded, but it didn't listen to me

"Nano?" Raph asked

"That's his name" I responded

I watched as Don lunged towards the robot, but it had knocked him away. Donny shook his head, dazed.

"It's fast!" he exclaimed

"That's not a good thing, Don!" Mikey shouted before flying into a pile of junk and rolling down it in front of my feet "I'm gonna say that didn't go so well" he said as I helped him up.

"Plan B?" Don asked

"Plan B" Leo confirmed

We all ran inside of the car and Mikey jumped into the driver's seat. I grabbed the back of Leo's seat as Mikey began to speed through the junkyard. I glanced at the rearview mirror and watched as Nano grabbed the top of the truck. Raph and Don tried to keep their balance as hard jolts came from the side of the truck. I fell backwards and watched as parts of the roof came apart.

"Faster Mikey, it's taking up apart" Don told him

"I'm givin' her all she's got captain" he said in an accent "She cannot take no more"

As much as I really like Mikey, this probably wasn't the best time to be making jokes.

"Raph, you're on. Shell-cycle time" Leo said

"Sure, I always have to do the crazy stuff" he said sarcastically as he picked up the red helmet that rolled towards his feet.

"I never thought you'd be one to complain about doing the crazy stuff" I said as he mounted his motorcycle

"Keep it busy until we're in position" Leo told him

Raph sped out of the truck over Nano's shoulder which startled him and made him let go of the truck. He drove in circle around Nano before leading him to the machine that crushed cars into metal cubes. This wasn't going to be pretty. I quickly stood up and buckled myself into a seat.

"Now Mikey, ramming speed!" Leo commanded

He sped behind Nano, causing him to fall forward into the machine. The car jerked forward before it came to a stop. I jumped out to see if it did it. I looked inside the machine to see Nano formed into a giant cube.

"Ouch, looks like that did it" Raph said next to me.

"Yeah, he's flat broke" Mikey punned from the window

The edge of my mouth twitched at the joke. Nano's screen face turned on again and I saw the tiny nanobots rearrange him into a robot again.

"You know, I'm gonna stop with the puns. Seriously, they always come back to bite you" Mikey said

I held my katana out in defense again as both vehicles sped off, but Nano ran right past me. My vision turned into a tinted red and I squeezed my eyes shut. _Don't do this to me now! _I shook my head and opened my eyes. My vision was only a faded pink. Pain coursed through my entire body. I felt like I was going to explode.

"Yes, that's my boy!" I heard the robber shout

_You mean you're little money maker_. He was really starting to annoy me. I had a strong urge to shut him up for good. What scared me was that I've never had an urge to kill someone for being annoying. _Focus, damn it. _I saw Donny jump out of the truck and nearly become bug squashed by Nano's feet. He climbed up the ladder to a giant magnetic crane and controlled it over Nano which picked him up like any magnet would attract metal.

"Kid, are you alright?" the robber shouted frantically

Nano let out another scream as Don hovered him over to a vat. I ran towards the base of it, but at the same time the robber shut off the power to the crane, hoping it might save his moneymaker. However, it only made Nano fall into the vat of molten metal right in front of me. Nano let out a bloodcurdling scream that sent chills through my entire body. I jumped to the side as hot liquid splashed in my direction. I stood there in front of the vat as Nano's hand came up for a moment and screamed 'Daddy', I turned my face away because it made my heart hurt. My vision became normal once again and I sighed in relief. The robber came and picked up something in front of me. It was one of Nano's masks. I put my sword back in my sheath and walked towards the truck.

"I can't believe you're gone" I heard the robber say "My one real lucky break and I broke ya. I-I'm sorry" he cried

I stopped walking. I didn't know what it was exactly, but something about what he said just made me snap. I mean really _snap_. I turned around abruptly and stormed behind him.

"The hell you are" I said angrily behind my mask.

He turned to look up at me and I grabbed him by the front of his expensive plaid jacket. He stared at me in shock.

"You're lucky break, right?" I demanded "That's all he was to you! You didn't stop to think for a minute that he was just a small kid that asked for a father!"

"Jade!" one of them shouted behind me

"Is that something else you do for a living, pal? Look for small kids that want a family and pretend to be their father? As long as he made you money, you kept him otherwise you'd leave him on the street without giving a damn!" I spat

"Jade!"

"You're not sorry you lost a kid, you're just sorry you lost your little moneymaker!" I snapped, my vision turned to the color of blood red again and the robber stared wide-eyed. A firm hand came down on my shoulder.

"Jade! It was only a robot, Jade" Leo said

I glared at the robber, still holding him by his jacket. Robot or not it was still a kid. I exhaled and tried to calm down. I let go of him and he continued to stare at me. His facial expression said one thing '_what the hell are you?_'. My vision began to fade back to normal once again, but this time it took more time. I swallowed.

"Right" I said quietly "Just a robot"

"Come on, we have to go. The cops are here" Leo said

I looked back at the robber one more time. "God help any kid that has you for a father" I said

"Jade" Leo called again

I followed him back to the Battle Shell and got stares as I stepped inside. No doubt, they all saw what just happened. Donny drove out of the junkyard before any of the cops could spot them. It was a quiet ride to back to April's. I knew they were thinking about the little scene I just pulled. Mikey finally broke the awkward silence.

"You know, I feel kinda bad for the little 'bot" Mikey said

"Little?" Raph asked

"You know he was kind of like a little kid" he said

I was too busy staring out the window to pay attention to this conversation. I didn't want to take part in it because it might lead to the question about what I just pulled back there. I twisted my mask around in my hands.

"Too bad he had such a rotten parent" Don pointed out.

My thoughts exactly. Don pulled into the alley behind April's antique shop. I was glad someone had changed the subject. The turtles jumped out of the truck and I was the last one to step out.

"I'm just glad the fighting's over" Leo said

They opened the door to April's shop only to see her and Casey arguing.

"Take care of me? I only got hurt cuz I was savin' you!" Casey yelled

"Oh, so you think I need saving is that it?" April said, obviously insulted

"You twist around everything I say, ah women!" he said

"Of all the myopic misogynistic—"

"Geeze!" Casey shouted, flailing his arm and knocking over a pink vase "How can we talk if you won't speak English?"

"I told you to watch the antiques, you big ape!" April snapped

I couldn't help but find it amusing. It was almost like watching Maury. I slowly backed out into the alley towards the other end of it. I guess I could see April and Casey as a couple? Even though they were two complete opposites. There was nothing cuter than an imperfect couple or maybe that was just my opinion. I was a couple steps away from the place when someone grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face them. My ninja reflexes took over, but it was only Leo.

"Gotta love how April and Casey fight like an old married couple" I said

"Don't try to avoid the subject" he said coolly "What happened to you back there in the junkyard?"

_Why did I not see this one coming? _I thought sarcastically

"Nothing" I answered. I knew he knew that wasn't true, but I didn't exactly care. "Let go of me"

"No" he protested "Why did you go ballistic all of a sudden?" he asked seriously

"Ballistic is a strong word, don't you think?" I said

"I think it's a completely appropriate word" he answered back

"He used a kid" I answered "He used a kid to make himself rich and it just worked up my nerve. Does that satisfy your question, detective?" I retorted

He blinked. I didn't know why I snapped at him like that, but he didn't seem too fazed by it.

"You're lying" he stated

"No I'm not" I said coolly

"Okay, maybe that's part of it, but that's not why you went ballistic" he stated "What're you not saying?" he asked coolly

The other three turtles walked out and glanced over at me and Leo who still had a strong grip on my shoulder.

"It's none of your business. Now let go of me" I said

"No" he said again

"I said let go of me" I repeated, saying it more firmly "I mean it" I added

I stared at him so he knew I was serious. He sighed before taking his hand off my shoulder and folding them across his chest.

"Why does it matter to you if I lost it back there or not?" I said

"I'm just trying to figure you out" he replied

"Well don't" I stated. I began to walk again towards the fire escape that was above my head.

"Does this have anything to do with the little boy in your necklace?" he asked.

I stopped. How did he know about the picture inside my locket? I never showed them. I turned to face him again.

"What?" I asked, confused

"That little boy in your locket" Leo repeated "Does it have anything to do with him?"

"You…you looked at my necklace?" I demanded

"No, well, yes, but it was Mikey who showed us" Leo explained

"When you were wounded we found that necklace it your hand and Mikey's curiosity got the best of him like always, then he showed us" Don explained "Was he your little brother?"

"He's really cute!" Mikey chimed in

The edge of my mouth twitched. I wasn't upset with them, just surprised. I suddenly tasted blood in my mouth again. I turned around to press my thumb against the sharp pointed ends of my teeth. They hurt like hell. My heart began to race. My eyes burned and I knew they were about to change my vision again.

"Jade?"

"I have to leave" I said.

Whoa. I said that, but it wasn't my voice I said it in. I don't think the turtles noticed though. I climbed up the fire escape and ran home, ignoring all the pain I felt on my body. Cold shivers ran up and down my spine. I was shaking as I opened the window to my apartment and climbed through it. I changed into my night clothes. I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were blood red, my pupils were slits, and my teeth were sharper than a knife. I sat on my bed and just sat there staring at myself, waiting for everything to go back to normal. My eyelids eventually became heavy and I fell into a restless and dreamless sleep.

**End of Chapter 18.**

**Uh-oh, sounds like Jade's condition is getting worse! Please review! :D**


	19. Garbageman

**Chapter 19:**

**Okay, I would've posted this chapter last Friday, but I've been really busy this past weekend, too many writers' blocks, and on top of everything, school. Long chapter. A lot of stuff happens in this chapter and I hope all of you like it! Thanks to movielover123456, Mikey3Lover, and my two Guests! :) New reviews always make me happy and motivate me! Okay, enough talking from me. Here's Chapter 19! And of course…**

**Enjoy!**

~Jade~

I let out a long yawn and shook my head. I ran my thumb over the thin bags that were forming underneath my eyes. I had skipped breakfast and had just a cup of coffee, which even then didn't seem to be enough. Whitney came next to me and shook her head.

"Man Jade, have you been partying all night or something? You look awful"

I laughed a little. "Partying? I wish. Maybe that would explain my headache"

"But seriously, you look like you're about to crash any minute. Maybe, you should go home and get some rest. I'll talk to Ryan for you"

We both walked out of the bathroom and received a dirty look from Lauren as we walked back into the kitchen.

"Thanks Whitney, but I can handle it. I've been worse than this" I told her

She gave me a concerned and skeptical look before grabbing the tray of leftover croissants. "Alright, if you say so. But if Ryan comes in here and finds you sleeping with your head in the sink, don't say I didn't warn you"

I smiled at her "I'll keep that in mind" I said as rinsed a coffee mug. Whitney took the tray of croissants and was about to throw them in the trash. "Whitney, wait, don't do that" I said

"Why?" she asked with a raised eyebrow

"There're a few homeless people who would love to get their hands on one of those. I'll take them"

She set the tray on the counter and put her hands on her hips. "Well, that's sweet of you"

"A few friends of mine and I are going to go feed the homeless tonight. It's probably better I don't come empty handed. Besides, these leftovers aren't that bad" I pointed out, picking one up.

"Well I'm sorry you have nothing but homeless people for friends" Lauren retorted behind me

I turned around slowly to face her. As far as I knew, I've never given her a reason to hate me. I've tried to be nice, but now it was just getting old.

"Lauren, I've tried to be nice, but now you're just working up my nerve" I told her and she just smiled back at me smugly.

"What can I say? It's fun" she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and walking out.

I walked after her but Whitney stopped me. "Let it go, Jade. You don't want to lose your job"

"How can you stand her?" I asked "She's such a fake"

"She's not really a bad person once you get to know her" Whitney said, as she put the croissants into a plastic tray before putting it in a brown paper bag.

I helped Whitney clean up until my shift was over. I took the paper bag and headed home. I was walking by an alley when I heard someone crying. I pressed by back against the wall and listened.

"It's alright Josie. Everything's going to be okay" someone assured

I peeked inside the alley and saw Dave's girlfriend, Josie, crying in her hands.

"But who c-could've done this to h-him" she cried "He n-never hurt a-anybody!"

"It was probably that vigilante wacko or maybe one of his lizard friends" someone else said

"I'm gonna find who did t-this and kill them if it's t-the last thing I-I do!" Josie cried as she stood up abruptly and walked out of my end of the alley. I quickly tucked my necklace inside my shirt. She stopped when she saw me and glared. I just stared back at her until she finally stormed off followed by a few of her friends. I walked into the alley and saw a picture of Dave with a candle and flower next to it. He was dead? How? Last I saw him was only a few days ago and Raph had stopped him from practically raping me. No. Raph couldn't have killed him, could he? I wouldn't put him past him. I could definitely see Raph killing someone. He had only kicked him to the ground, but not kill him. I didn't see Dave move before I had walked back inside the warehouse though. I was going to see the turtles later tonight anyway. I decided to ask him about it then. I took one last look at it before heading towards my apartment. When I walked in, I had completely collapsed on my bed and tried to take a nap, but couldn't. I felt strange. Something was wrong. I looked at my hands to see them spotty and chalk white on my palm. I sat up abruptly and looked at myself in the mirror.

"You can't fight me. You can't fight me" my reflection sang

I clenched my hands into fists and counted to ten in my head. I uncurled my fingers and it was gone. I took my pillow and threw it over my face, trying to avoid looking at the mirror at all costs.

~O-0-o~

"Heads up!" Mikey shouted. I ducked as he skateboarded over my head.

"Just think like a turtle. If you were living in a sewer what would you need?" Donny told me

"Alright Donny, but I don't think I'm going to find any air fresheners in a junkyard" I said. Raph groaned in disgust as he shook red slime off his hand. I didn't even want to know what that was.

"Don, you don't want something so gross you don't want to touch it, right?" Raph asked

"If it'll improve the lair, we can use it" Don said as he threw more things into the shopping cart.

"Why isn't Mikey helpin'?" Raph asked, annoyed as his younger brother skateboarded over a pile of junk.

"Raph, would you rather have Mikey happy or Mikey bored?" Don said

I leaned against the shopping cart and watched Mikey skate past us. "And what exactly happens when you get a bored Mikey?" I asked

"Ya get a five year old whiner" Raph said sarcastically

I jumped off the cart as Don pushed it towards the Battle Shell. "Thanks for the shopping cart, guys" he said to the professor

"Hope you found some useful items among the refuse my green amphibious friends"

"Reptile" I said under my breath

"Sure did, Professor"

The professor picked up the bag from the ground and came towards them. "Here are some things we picked out for you" he said, handing Donny a circuit board and a comic book for Mikey.

"All the leftover pastries should be enough to keep everyone full until tomorrow" I said

"Indeed, thank you my dear" the professor said

Don came back from the Battle Shell with freshly folded clothes. "We brought some blankets and warm clothes. They're a little worn but they should help at night" he said, handing them to the professor

"One man's refuse is another man's treasure. You know, there is a theory that we are all recycled" the professor said "The Big Bang theory says that all matter has been exploding then imploding then exploding again since the beginning of time. Our very molecules are being recycled"

_Huh? _I thought. Raph, Mikey and I shared a mutual look. Don however seemed really interested in what the professor had to say.

"I just finished a book on the Big Bang. I'll bring it by later" Don said

"Hey, are there fewer of you here than usual?" Raph asked

"A lot of guys went missing lately. It's weird, they don't take they're stuff" one of the homeless men said

"Yup" the guy next to him agreed

"I have a theory about that" the professor said "There's been talk of a terrifying figure who takes us away in the dead of night. His name is whispered in fear. They call him…the Garbageman"

I blinked and held in a snicker not wanting him to feel insulted, but the turtles soon laughed out loud. The professor didn't seem offended. Garbageman? Why would a man who collects trash be interested in homeless people? The turtles stopped laughing.

"Ya almost had me goin' there" Raph said "Well, gotta roll guys"

They drove off, but I decided to stay a while longer. The homeless people were all really humble people and not that bad to be around. Plus, I kind of wanted to hear what other theories the professor had, whether or not they were far fetched. The professor was in the middle of telling a theory when my phone rang.

"Oh, sorry, I have to take this" I said, stepping away from everyone. "Diane?"

"Heyy!" she shouted into the mouth piece. "Oh my god, I have great news to tell you!"

"Well, it must be pretty important if you had to make a long distance phone call. Go ahead, spill" I said

"I'm so excited, I can't even talk!" she squealed "My mom said if I get good grades, I can come visit you in New York next summer! Is that awesome or what?!"

"No way" I said in disbelief

"Way!" she squealed excitedly again

"Sounds like you better keep those grades up then, Diane. Summer's still a long way off"

She was quiet on the other line for a moment. "Buzz kill" she finally said

"Love you too" I answered back, looking back at the homeless people. There was a faint red glow, and at first I thought it was my eyes again. When everyone started screaming I realized the red glow came from giant headlights. There was a loud crash as the truck hit a wooden shed. I jumped and hid behind a bunch of wooden crates as all the debris fell in my direction. The lights were so blinding I couldn't see anything.

"Jade? Jade, are you okay? What's going on over there?" Diane asked

"Diane, I gotta go!" I said as I hung up and looked at all the chaos that was happening around me. Something sped past me, and I heard a loud creaking noise. I turned my head and the wooden crates fell on top of me. I ducked and protected my head as one crate fell over the other. I hadn't brought my weapons with me. I tried to move the crates, but they were too heavy. One of the crate's lids fell open above my head and big boxes fell on top of me. I shook my head and tried to make sense of what was happening. It was pitch black and I could still hear screaming and mechanical sounds like giant claws. I heard more crashes and screams from every direction. Not too far from where I was trapped I heard the professor shouting.

"You shall not have me, you behemoth! Leviathan! Monstrosity!" he yelled

There was the mechanical whirring sound again and then professor's scream and the sound of a truck crashing through a fence.

"Professor, no!" I shouted as I pushed against the crate again. It creaked but didn't move because of all the other crates on top of it. I kicked all of them with my feet until there was finally a small opening for me to crawl through. I was able to get cool air through my lungs as I broke through the top. I gasped when I saw that the fence around the junkyard was destroyed. "Professor?" I called

No answer. I pulled myself out of the wreck and looked around at the damage. The whole junkyard was trashed. I rubbed the back of my neck as I freed myself from the broken crates. I couldn't find anyone in sight. Luckily my cell phone had survived in my pocket. I dialed Don's cell.

"Hello?"

"Don, it's me, Jade. Listen, you have to come back to the junkyard, now. Something happened" I said

"What're you talking about, what's going on?" he asked

"I don't really know what happened. Just get over here, fast" I told him before hanging up.

I walked around the junkyard for anything that could give me clues about whatever had came here. I found a few biscuits that were covered in dirt. The piles of junk were scattered all over the place. The fencing material was completely ripped apart. There were giant tire tracks that were leading out, but ended by the road. I pressed a finger on my temple and rotated it in circles as my eyes began to tint red again. It was starting to bother me more each day. I ran my tongue over my teeth. They were normal. I saw a bright red light coming in my direction and I jumped behind a mountain of junk. I heard the low rumble of a motorcycle. My eyes burned and my vision turned back, leaving me with a slight throb in my head.

"What the shell?" I heard Don's voice say "Professor? Are you okay? Professor?"

I stood up and came behind him. "He's not here. Something grabbed him"

Don turned around and faced me. "What grabbed him?" he asked

"I'm not sure, I was attacked by a bunch of crates before I knew what was happening, all I know is that it sounded like a giant machine"

Don took out a flashlight from his bag and followed the trail of damaged. He stopped and knelt down on the ground.

"What is it?" I asked

"High grade hydraulic fluid!" he said in amazement, before walking to the giant tire tracks "That's one big tire"

"Maybe you should call the others" I suggested

"All we know is that something attacked them. It was really big and really dangerous"

"Hope they're okay" Mikey said

Leo examined the giant tire tracks "Don, can you run an internet search for police reports?"

"Already checked" he told his brother "Nothing on missing homeless, no one's noticed or cares" he added gloomily

As much as I didn't like admitting it, Don was right. Not a lot of people did care about the homeless, despite the fact that they weren't different from anyone else. They were just homeless.

"Meanwhile, someone's snatchin' our buds!" Raph said

Leo stood up. "We need to hit the streets" Leo told us

"It's trench coat wearing time!" Mikey said dramatically, emerging from the truck in a trench coat and hat

The other three gave him a look to which Mikey merely shrugged. I chuckled at his appearance before standing up from where I was sitting.

"I'll grab my weapons and meet you back at your place" I said

"We'll be back in a few hours" Leo confirmed

I nodded before running out the back of the junkyard, while all the guys jumped in their truck and drove off.

~O-0-o~

_In…out…in… out…_

I was at the lair and meditating. An hour and a half had gone by and they weren't back. My katana and bow and arrows were next to me. I cleared my head and tried to block everything out. The sound of the chamber door opening interrupted my state of mind. I stood up when I saw the four of them walk in.

"Did you get any info?" I asked

"We got some info, but it's not much to go on" Leo told me

"Don't be so sure" Don said as he sat down at his computer and began to do something.

Leo had pulled out his swords and swinging them at the air. Raph and Mikey collapsed on the couch and I remembered that I had to talk to Raph. I stood in front of him and he looked up.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked

He leaned back on the couch. "'Bout what?" he asked boringly

"Can we talk somewhere a bit more private?" I asked, looking towards the kitchen

"'Bout?" he repeated

I looked out of the corner of my eye. None of the others seemed to be paying attention to our conversation. I leaned closer so only he could hear.

"Murder" I said quietly

He raised an eyebrow interestingly. Raph stood up and walked to the kitchen and I followed. He leaned against the counter with his arms folded across his chest.

"Alright, ya got my attention. What murder are ya talkin' 'bout?" he asked

I sighed. "You remember when we got Casey out of that sticky situation with the Purple Dragons? There was that one guy that pulled me into that alley?"

"Ya mean the one that tried ta kiss ya?" he asked

"Yeah, him" I said shortly "Not to sound so blunt, but did you kill him?"

Raph raised an eyebrow and then laughed "What?"

"Did you kill him?" I repeated seriously

"No" he answered "Probably gave him a concussion and put him in a coma, but not kill. Why do you care?"

"Because he's dead" I said immediately

Raph shrugged. "So? That's one scum off the street"

"So you _didn't_ kill him?" I asked

"No. Why does it matter ta you anyway?"

I sighed. "No reason. Just curious"

"Why? He practically tried ta rape you"

"Don't get me wrong, I hated that guy, but I didn't want him dead" I pointed out

Raph only rolled his eyes and walked out. I followed him towards Don's computer where Leo was already hunched next to.

"Have you got anything, Don?" Leo asked

"Virtually everyone we talked knew someone who had disappeared. I programmed in a marker for each one" he said, clicking on the screen and several red dots appeared.

"Right there" I said, pointing at the several dots on the bottom of the screen.

"Whoa, looks like all the action is down by the docks" Mikey said

"Then that's our next stop" Leo said

I grabbed my weapons and walked out with them to their truck.

When we arrived at the docks, Mikey had put on a trench coat and hat before going undercover as a homeless person. He was wearing an earpiece under the hat and walked out to stand in front of a trashcan that was lit. Raph had parked the car in hiding not far from him and waited. Three hours had gone by and nothing happened. I was sitting in the front passenger seat as we waited for a little longer. The clock said 11:30 PM. Still, nothing happened.

"Can somebody explain why it's always me who's the bait?" Mikey complained into the mouthpiece "Especially when we're hunting shark?"

Raph shook his head. "Jeez, what a whiner. Almost wish he would get grabbed" he said

"Don't be mean" I said, even though by now I knew he was like this.

"Nothing's happening. Let's call it a night" Leo said finally

Don nodded to him before turning to answer Mikey. "Come back Mikey, we're out of here"

"Sure…thing" Mikey said uncertainly

I saw him turned his head to look behind him. "What is it?" I asked loudly so he could hear me. He didn't answer. "Mikey?"

"Guys, the shark is here" he said finally "And he's humming the theme from Jaws"

I looked up again and saw the same red glowing light I had seen in the junkyard. "That's it" I confirmed

"Hit it, Raph" Leo said

I yanked at the seatbelt as Raph began to speed towards the black truck. Mikey lunged in through the side as the Battle Shell sped in front of him.

"It's a garbage truck!" Raph said "A stinkin' garbage truck!"

The garbage truck hit us from behind and the giant claws hit the roof. I jerked forward every time it crashed from behind us.

"Garbageman drives a garbage truck. What's the problem, Raph? Oof!" Mikey exclaimed as another jolt made him lose his balance.

Raph swerved to the side sharply and the garbage truck sped past us.

"He's making a run for it" Don exclaimed

"Hit it, Raph!" Leo said

Raph began to speed up to him. The back of the garbage truck let out some kind of flamethrower. I shielded my eyes from the bright flames while Mikey let out a high pitched scream. Raph sped right through it and the flames didn't harm the truck at all.

"Uh, sorry about the girly scream" Mikey said embarrassingly, to which Raph just shook his head to.

He sped next to the garbage truck and a sharp blade came out from the side and cut through the truck. Don lunged out of the way of the sharp blade. _How many toys does this guy have?_ Raph swerved out of the way once again causing Mikey to lose his balance once more.

"I don't know 'bout you guys, but I've had enough of this!" Raph said, punching a round green button.

I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw turbo boosters come out from the side. He hit the back of the garbage truck causing it to swerve. Leo, Don, and Mikey cheered.

"Great job, Raph" I complimented

"Ya like that, you're gonna love this" he told us

Don put a hand on his shoulder. "May I?" he asked

"Be my guest" Raph told him.

I raised an eyebrow interestingly as Don pushed another button. I heard some kind of whirring sound from the roof and saw three missiles fly past us. All the missiles hit the garbage truck directly.

"Yeah, got him!" Mikey exclaimed, but the truck kept driving with not a scratch on it.

"You were saying?" I said

"We need bigger missiles" Mikey said

Raph stomped on the brakes as oil leaked from the back of the black truck. The car began to spin in circles and made me dizzy. I heard Mikey moan from the back.

"If you guys forgot what we had for dinner, I think I'm about to remind you" he said sickly

"I'd rather not know" I replied as I heard him gag

The garbage truck crashed through a fence while our vehicle still spun out of control towards the edge of the dock.

"Everyone hold on!" Don shouted as he pressed another button and a grappling cable shot out from the back.

The car lurched forward and so did I. The car was half tipped in the water and half out. I massaged the area on my neck where the seat belt had choked me.

"Is everyone okay?" Leo asked

"Fine" I groaned. I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out the back of the truck after them.

"Look!" Mikey shouted

The garbage truck went off the dock and sank into the water. I ran to the edge and watched it sink as the four of them cheered.

"T-M-N-T what you get is what you see!"

They stopped cheering and gave Mikey a look. I raised an eyebrow at him, confused.

"You know seriously, you're only embarrassin' yourself" Raph said

I knelt close to the water and waited to see if someone would come up.

"Let's see who crawls out of this thing" Leo said

I heard Raph pull his sai out and twirl them. "I got a few things to discuss with him"

At that moment a faint red glow came from under the water. I stood up abruptly and watched the red light swim towards a small island in the middle of the harbor.

"What the shell?" Leo said

~O-0-o~

"So turns out, this is the biggest landfill operation not just in the city, but in the entire country" Don told us later.

We had returned to the lair to see what the little island in the middle of the harbor was. Leo folded his arms across his chest.

"Best run doesn't mean 'best', it just means the most profitable" he said

"It's always about the money" I agreed, as I leaned against the couch. I shook off a slight throb that had started to go through my head again.

"Come on guys, what could they really be up to out there? They're right in the middle of the city harbor" Raph said

"If business is as good as Don says, anything they want to. A few payoffs in the right hand could go a long way. We need to check this place out" Leo said, before running to the chamber door. I followed him.

"Looks harmless" Don pointed out

"That's how they always look" I said coolly

"It's quiet. Maybe too quiet" Leo said

"See? How does Leo make that line work?" Mikey asked

"Enough" Leo told him "Let's go. Grab my shell" he added to me

I hesitated, but did so. I couldn't swim that far anyway. I grabbed the back of his shell as we plunged into the water. He came to the surface every minute or two so I could get air. After all, I wasn't a reptile. Mikey was swimming backwards and winked at me as he swam past us. I rolled my eyes. Once I felt the water become shallower, I let go of Leo's shell and swam the rest of the way until we reached shore. I wrung my hair of the excess water and followed the turtle through the landfill. I ran past a weird orange puddle.

"Hey, watch where you—"

_Squish._

I looked over my shoulder "Step…" I finished. Mikey had stepped into the weird orange stuff. It looked sticky.

He grimaced. "Ugh! I don't even what to know what I just stepped in" he said

"Mikey, focus" Raph told him

A bright light shined over our heads. I lunged behind an old rusty car that smelled terrible, and heard a vehicle drive past us. I watched the car drive higher up a makeshift road. My eyes turned red, but I didn't have time to worry about it now. I climbed up the high mountain of garbage with the others. Luckily, they couldn't see my eyes through the dark. I climbed slower as another vehicle passed by. _You can't fight me, Jade. I'm getting stronger so you might as well give up_. A voice in my head told me. I stopped to catch my breath and exhaled slowly. My vision faded normal…to red… and back to normal. My arrows hit against one another as I continued to climb. The turtles had already reached the top.

"Unbelievable" Leo whispered

"What?" I asked as I came in between him and Raph. Though, when I saw it, I let out a barely audible gasp. "What the…?"

It was…I didn't know what it was. I saw homeless men and women hauling trash over their shoulder. They all had chains around their ankles. I watched as a man tripped and what I guess was a guard walked over to him with an electrical staff. All the guards looked like he did. They were wearing yellow overalls and a yellow gas mask. Each of them had an electrical staff.

"Get up!" the guard snapped at the man that had tripped and shocked him with the staff!

"This is making me sick" Raph muttered as he pulled out his sai and was about to jump in and attack, but Leo put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You're not the only one" I said, putting my hand on the hilt of my sword.

The guards were gathering all of them in one area. There was more of that sticky orange slime Mikey had stepped in earlier and out of it came the black garbage truck.

"Ew. Gross!" Mikey exclaimed

The garbage truck backed up towards the ramp and more homeless people slid down it.

"That's it," Raph said impatiently

"Hang on Raph. Look," Leo said, pointing to the black truck

I watched as the black truck stopped in front of two guards and the back of the truck opened and an absurdly overweight man rolled out on some kind of weird machine with two giant claws. He was wearing only an undershirt that had brown and green stains all over it. He looked like he had maybe three chins. Even from where I was crouched down, I could see saliva clinging to the corners of his mouth. It was a repulsive sight.

"That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen" Mikey said

"Just this once, I totally agree with ya" Raph said

"Greetings filth!" the man said loudly,

"I don't know what grosses me out more. His appearance or the fact that he sounds like he's talking with mouthful of saliva"

"Probably both" Don said from the other side of Mikey

We heard something turn on like a microphone. "Garbage is power" he said into his microphone that was probably hidden somewhere.

"If that's true, then this guy's Superman" Mikey said

I chuckled at his little analogy. He looked over at me and grinned. I guess he was happy that someone laughed at his joke. I stood up halfway.

"I'm gonna get a closer look" I said

"Jade, wait!" Leo whispered loudly

I didn't listen and slid down the pile of trash, hiding behind a mound of black trash bags.

"Before I brought you to this island, you were nothing but human garbage. No home, no purpose, no value, but now I have recycled you!" he said "Giving you work shifting through the refuse that the city stupidly squandered to build my fortune"

I grabbed my katana out of my sheath and held it against my side.

"Behold the birth of my empire, invisible to the outside world before it is too late" he finished

I looked back at the turtles; they had stood up with their weapons in their hands. When I looked back at the Garbageman, I saw the professor stand up in the middle of all the homeless people.

"I'd rather be a free man living on the street that a slave in your stinking empire!" he said

"You go professor" I said silently, but the Garbageman didn't think so

"Guards!" Garbageman shouted "Silence him! Get these ungrateful beasts back to work! Now!"

One of the guards took their electrical staffs and shocked the professor.

"That's it! Time to take out the trash!" Raph shouted

I jumped to the bottom of the pile of trash right behind a guard. He turned around and I sliced his electric staff in three pieces before kicking him in his gut. Don, Leo and Raph jumped up and side kicked another three guards.

"Cowabunga!" Mikey shouted as he hit another two with a makeshift board.

I helped them break off the chain from everyone's ankles. All of them grabbed some sort of weapon and ran after the guards. I pulled out my arrow and bow and shot it at one guard that almost escaped. It barely grazed his arm, but he fell back in surprise. Just as I turned around, another guard tried to shock me with his staff. I jumped up and landed directly on his staff before kicking him under the chin and he fell backwards. Don and I ran towards the professor. I broke off his chain as Don helped him stand up.

"Professor, are you alright?" Don asked

"Never felt better, Donatello" he said

"Well, it looks like your buddies have the guards pretty much under control" Don pointed out

I laughed as the guards ran for their lives, which made my head hurt.

"And may I take this opportunity to encourage you to kick that so-called Garbageman's stinking derriere!" the professor said

I guess I was kind of expecting he'd say 'ass', but derriere worked just as well. I jumped onto the ramp with the others.

"What's this? They're sending freaks against me? I'll dispose of this genetic refuse!" the Garbageman slurred

_Who the hell is he calling a freak?_ I thought rhetorically

"It's garbage day, fat man. Time to take your can out to the curb" Mikey punned

"What?" the Garbageman said in anger

"Uh…how about, time to dump you in the dumpster, smelly boy!" he said

"Mikey, enough" I told him

"You!" Garbageman scolded "Shut up!"

One of the claws lunged down at Mikey, but he evaded it just in time. Leo lunged at the Garbageman's machine and had a sword battle with the machine's claws. He managed to get on the front of it, but the Garbageman put his thing in reverse and Leo lost his balance. He shot out four missiles as we ran up the ramp. I managed to shoot an arrow at one, though my arrow only made the missile lose control and fly in the other direction of the landfill. Everyone managed to evade the missiles and continued to run up the ramp. A pipe came out of the back of the machine and ejected some kind of weird smelling slime. Four of us managed to jump out of the way, but Raph wasn't spared. It hit him directly. Don threw his bow staff and hit it directly into the pipe's hole and making it explode all over the Garbageman.

"Nice aim, Don!" I shouted

"You freaks!" the Garbageman spat as a flame came out of the front of the machine.

Mikey managed to jump over the orange flames. He landed on both feet in the slime causing him to slide backwards.

"Can we finish this?" Raph asked, annoyed. He was covered in the brown slime. I swear I could've been standing a mile away and I would still smell that odor.

"Hey dude, you gotta hit the showers" Mikey told him

"After today, I think we all do" I said

"I will recycle every one of you into the ground!" Garbageman yelled

"Hey garbagebrain, if you fight as bad as you smell then we are in trouble" Mikey said

"I told you to shut up!" he scolded again, as his claws lunged at Mikey again. He dodged it once more and ran behind Garbageman up the ramp. "Come back here" he shouted

"I have an idea" Don said "Keep him busy!"

"No problem there!" I shouted back as I ran behind Garbageman's machine and pulled myself on top of one of the claws from behind and jumped in front of him.

We came to the edge of a cliff and Garbageman drove his machine towards us. I saw Don working with the wiring from the back of his machine.

"There's no place to run. Now I've got you!"

Leo was the first to attack the Garbageman, but he was hit by one of the giant claws. Don had stepped back for a second to see what was going on and was hit by Leo. Raph and I were next to attack. Raph was knocked aside by one claw and I evaded the other one, but the one that had hit Raph had hit me in the ribs and knocked me into a giant rock. The wind was knocked right out of my lungs and I sat up with my hand pressed to the back of my head. I looked back at Mikey who had been picked up by his arms and Garbageman was dangling him over the edge of the cliff.

"Prepare to be recycled" Garbageman said evilly

"Put him down garbage freak!" Raph snapped

I quickly grabbed an arrow from my back and aimed it at the circuit board the same time Don threw his bow staff at it. His bow staff ricocheted off it while my arrow stuck there. His machine began to go haywire. The claws let go of Mikey and he clung onto the edge of the cliff for a brief moment before jumping over the Garbageman to safety. The machine began to malfunction and drove itself backwards over the cliff. Garbageman's scream echoed before he finally hit the water. Leo walked over to me and helped me up before running to the edge.

"For sure he can't swim" Don said, looking over the edge.

Leo sighed. "We've got to do something" he said

"I knew you were gonna say that" Raph replied

Leo glanced over at me. "Stay here" he told me before jumping over the edge of the cliff with his brothers.

There was no way I would follow them off a cliff. I walked over to the edge and looked down. Another thing I disliked was when someone commanded me to do something as if I was a troublesome five year-old. I rubbed the back of my head as the throbbing started again. It was more painful than before. My eyes burned and watered, making my eyesight blurry. I moved away from the edge of the cliff so I wouldn't fall over the edge. Maybe I should wait by the shore. I started to walk, but the pain only became worse. I fell to my knees and clutched my head, trying to hold back a scream. The pain was so intense I couldn't handle it. It was like someone was stabbing me with multiple knives. I curled into a ball and muffled my bloodcurdling scream as it escaped from my mouth. I felt like I was going to die. Tears rushed from the corner of my eyes. My vision turned red and I felt the sharp tips of my teeth. I felt my fingertips become cold. I tugged at my sleeve to see my skin turn chalky white. I breathed slowly through my mouth, wanting the pain to subside. It didn't. I blacked out…

~Turtles~

The four of them plunged into the water and swam to where they saw the machine fall off the cliff. The machine was there, but the Garbageman wasn't. They searched around it, but couldn't find anything. He wasn't there. Don and Leo came up to the surface.

"No sign of him here" Leo said

Raph and Mikey resurfaced behind them.

"He's gone" Donny replied

They returned to shore to see the professor and the other homeless people there. Few of the others boarded a boat and headed back towards the city.

"What's up, Professor?" Don asked

"We voted to stay here. There's food and shelter, the Garbageman was right about one thing. People do throw away a lot of valuable items"

"Watch out for him, something that evil always comes back" Raph warned

Mikey kicked the dirt. "See that worked" he complained "How do you come up with those?"

"Quit recycling the old ones, Mikey. Keep looking for something new" Raph said

Leo looked around at everyone by the shore. "Professor, you wouldn't have happened to see Jade, have you?"

The professor gave him a confused look.

"Oh, I meant our friend" Leo clarified

"Oh," the professor said "Unfortunately, I haven't, Leonardo. In fact, I never saw her come down from that cliff"

Leo turned to look at the top of the cliff skeptically. She never came down? Mikey, Don, and Raph had overheard what the professor had said and looked at the top of the cliff. The four of them began to walk up the ramp, but the only thing that was there were Jade's bow and arrows. They were lying on the ground, abandoned. Jade wasn't there. Leo picked up the abandoned weapons.

"Do you think she swam back to the city?" Mikey asked

Don knelt down in the ground. "I don't think so. Look at this" he said, pointing at a dark spot on the ground. There were several smaller blotches around it.

"What is it, Don?" Leo asked

"If I'm not mistaken, it's blood" Don said

"Blood? Do you think she's hurt?" Mikey asked

"I'm ninety-eight percent sure she's not" Donny replied

"Ninety-eight?" Raph repeated "And the other two percent?"

"She was probably hurt badly by something" he responded "Or maybe when we were fighting off the Garbageman, she got hurt and went to go take care of it"

Leo looked down at the bow and arrows he had in his hand. Then why would she leave this? He looked back at the blotches of blood on the ground. Something really weird was going on. Leo looked back at his brothers. They might not have known her for that long, but they could tell something was off. "Something else is going on" he finally said "She's been acting really strange for a while now"

"What makes you say that, Fearless?" Raph asked

"It's a vibe" he answered

**End of Chapter 19**

**Please review!**


	20. An Old Picture

**Chapter 20: I really didn't know what to name this chapter…**

**Long chapter. School has been so hectic and I just needed to get away from everything for a while. Special thanks to georgeisthewin, and Guest for reviewing! Ok, before you guys start reading I have a question for you guys. I know it's a little late, but for those of you that have heard about Bay's reboot, what was your first reaction when you found out he was turning them into aliens? I know it pissed the crap out of me. It literally annoyed the hell out of me, but maybe Raph can put my dismay in better words than I can…**

**"Turtles! ****_TURTLES! _****Don't any ya lamebrains know a turtle when you see one?!"**

**Haha, ok, enough from me. Here's Chapter 20. **

**As always, ENJOY!**

~Jade~

_Knock…knock…_

My eyes opened and I sat up. I rubbed the sore area on the back of my neck. _What the hell happened last night? _I thought. I stood up and walked towards the living room. It was Kelsey.

"Kelsey? What're you doing here, why aren't you at school?"

She gave me a funny look. "It's Saturday" she told me, before coming inside. "And if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you stopped sounding like my mother"

I chuckled as I closed the door and let out a long yawn. My sister gave me another funny look.

"Were you sleeping?" she asked "It's three in the afternoon!"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Don't mind me" I said "You hungry?"

"Actually, no" she said

I sat down on the couch with my feet tucked behind me. I noticed her clutching something to her chest. "Is everything okay?" I asked

"Yeah, everything's fine" she told me, as she sat down next to me. "I was cleaning around in my apartment and found this. It was yours, do you remember this?"

She held the picture frame out to me. I took it from her hand and looked at eyes widened at the familiar picture. It was a twelve year old Kelsey and a fourteen year old me. We were at the beach and the ocean was clearly visible behind us. Her blonde hair was in waves and fell loosely over her shoulders with a strand blowing across her forehead and my hair was dark and natural, a lock blowing over the bridge of my nose. Kelsey had one arm around my neck from behind and my arms were behind my back, around her waist. I smiled at the old thought. That was a long time ago.

"You had that picture on that board you hung over your computer all the time" she said

"Yeah I remember" I said.

"I kinda got caught up looking at it for a while. I was looking at it and thinking how things have changed since then"

The edge of my mouth twitched. Kelsey looked from me to the picture and back again. "What?" I asked

She looked at the picture in my hand again. "You don't smile the same way you used to" she said

I put the picture down on the coffee table and walked towards the window. I caught a glimpse of Kelsey's surprised face at my abrupt movement. "That was a long time ago, Kelsey. People change. Crap happens and people change. It's a sink or swim situation"

"I know" she said simply "I was just thinking about how we were then. What if you just stopped with the whole night cop thing and maybe we can go back to the way things were before?" she said hopefully

"We can't" I answered

She was quiet for about a minute. "Why not?" she asked

"It's not as easy as you think. I can't just suddenly drop everything and stop being a _ninja_" I corrected "And if we wanted to go back to the way things were, that means we have to be the same people. Obviously, we're not. Ninja's now a part of me whether you want to believe it or not"

"Since when? You go around the city and fight gang members, that's the polices' job let them take care of it" Kelsey said

"They don't see the same thing ninjas do" I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her fold her arms across her chest.

"But there's more to it than that. A lot more than you're telling me"

I turned around to face her. My hands rested on my hips. "I am not having this argument with you again" I snapped "So much for burying the hatchet"

"How do you expect us to bury it when you're not being honest!" she pointed out

"It was buried just fine until you dug it back up again" I retorted. I tried not to get my anger all worked up. I noticed that my eyes usually turned red if I was angry.

"So now it's _my_ fault?" she demanded

"No" I answered "I'm only saying you could ask me the same question a hundred times and I'll tell you the same thing. I get it, okay? You hate what I've become, but you don't have to put a fake smile on your face. You know I can see right through that"

"What is up with you?" she asked "You know, you've been acting really weird all week"

I stood in front of her and glared right in her eye. "Maybe I'm just annoyed by the fact that my sister asks me so many questions and she can't get it through that smart brain of hers that it's none of her business!" I snapped.

Her eyes widened at what I just said and then suddenly turned angry. She grabbed the purse from the couch and stormed towards the door. "I have absolutely no idea what you're problem is, but you obviously need some space. And keep the picture" she said, before storming out the door and slamming it so forcefully it rattled.

"Fine!" I shouted. I was so angry I felt like I was about to burst. I grabbed the picture and threw it against the door. It fell facedown on the floor. I was so angry I felt like I was going to explode. I didn't know why though. I headed into the bathroom. I had gotten so angry at Kelsey and for what? That only made me angrier. But why was I so angry?

"Oh, that's because of me"

I stopped before slowly turning around to see my reflection wipe off fake sweat from her forehead. "Okay. Seriously, who are you?" I said coolly

"I'm you" it said

I folded my arms across my chest and locked the bathroom door. "I know that part" I said "Except that if you were me, you wouldn't be talking to me directly"

A wide smile spread across her face. "Touché. I guess I do owe you an explanation, don't I? Well, my name's Rebecca"

"I don't care who you are or where you came from, but I want you gone"

"Sorry, I can't do thaaat" she sang "I'm you. I know what you're feeling, when you're feeling, and why you're feeling it"

"Yeah right" I scoffed

"I'm the reason why you get so angry all the time. Remember how you went all ballistic and angry on that robber; you remember feeling all that energy? That's called an urge to kill. That can only mean one thing. I'm getting stronger" Rebecca said "All thanks to Bishop"

I shook my head and stepped out of the bathroom. I was talking to myself in a mirror. This was getting crazy. _I_ was going crazy. I had planned to confront Bishop a while ago, but every instinct in my body was telling me not to. I needed air. I quickly changed into sweatpants and a sports bra. I tied my hair in a high ponytail and put on my sneakers before grabbing my iPod and heading out. The humidity outside was so bad, I practically felt the stickiness in my palms. Yuck. I usually preferred rain and winter. I walked into an alley where apparently Dave had died. His picture was still there and next to it was a waxy mess of a candle. If Raph didn't kill him then who did? Dave _was_ annoying and kind of "stalkerish", but I never wanted him dead. I never had any intentions of wanting him dead either, just gone. I ran out of that alley before I could run into any trouble with Purple Dragons. My music played loudly in my ears as I began to jog. My necklace was hitting against my chest. I turned the corner and ran into a small park. Despite the humidity, it was actually not a bad day. There were kids playing soccer in the open field, couples were having picnics under the shades, others were walking their dog and the rest were running like me. A soccer ball rolled in my direction. I abruptly stopped running and tapped my foot on top of the ball, making it stop in front of me before it rolled into the street. A kid came running towards me waving his arm. When he came closer, I recognized it was that little kid, Nolan. He stopped a few feet away from me. I lightly hit the side of my foot against the ball, making it roll towards him. He picked it up from the ground before running back towards the field.

"Thanks miss!" he shouted.

I smiled and shook my head before continuing to run out the park. My legs were beginning to grow tired, but I kept running faster. The warm air ran through my hair. I raised the volume on my iPod until I couldn't hear the sound of my own feet hitting against the concrete. The soreness I felt in my legs only made me run faster and harder. I didn't stop for a second. All my ninjitsu training really paid off. When I finally stopped running, the pain in my legs coursed up and down my calves. I had stopped in front of a studio. I read the sign that said "Taekwondo". Out of curiosity, I peeked inside to see a black belt standing in front of several small kids that had white belts tied around their waist. They were beginners.

"One!" the black belt said

The small kids held out their small fists in front of them. "Hyah!" they shouted in their small high pitched voice

"Two!" he said

They punched out their small left fist. _Well, this was cute._

"Good. Water break, go on" he said

The small kids bowed. "Thank you master" they said in unison before running to the water cooler. He walked into his small office, leaving the kids to sit down in the middle of the dojo and they began to talk. I began to jog again. Those poor guys wouldn't last two seconds with my master. I guess most people would say he expected beginner students to know ninjitsu to some level. When my master was training me, water breaks were rare. I would train so hard to the point where I felt like my legs would bleed out. He could care less too. I could've had a broken leg and a concussion; he would still make me spar or train. My master made sure I trained above and beyond my capability. _Pain is a sign of weakness_ he would say. That was something else he would never let me forget. I began to sprint as fast as my body would let me until I nearly ran into someone with a bag of trash.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I stopped right before I could collide into her.

April turned around and faced me. Her eyes were wide. "Jade?" she said

"Hi April" I said, as I breathed deeply. When I stopped running once again, I realized how sweaty and disgusting I must look.

"Where've you been?" she asked

I blinked in confusion. "I've been running" I said to her

"No I don't mean that. When the guys said…"

"Wait a minute, what did the guys?" I asked. I knew she obviously meant the turtles. I put my hands on my bare hips. "Okay, April, what's going on?" I asked suspiciously

"The guys said you were missing. They found spots of blood on top of a cliff and they thought you might've been hurt"

Missing? Hurt? Now I was even more confused. "What're you talking about?"

April waved her hand in front of her face. "Why don't we go inside and I'll explain everything. It's hot out here"

I agreed and followed her back inside through the back of the antique shop. It was nice and cool in there. I sat down on the stool by the glass case display as April went upstairs and came back down with two glasses of lemonade. She pushed one of the glasses towards me and sat down on the opposite side of the display across from me. I took one sip from the glass before crossing my arms over the counter.

"So, start from the beginning because I'm completely lost" I said

"Apparently, all of you confronted some guy that kidnapped homeless people…" April started

"Yeah, that was last night" I confirmed

"Well, after the guys came back on shore, people were saying you didn't come down from the cliff. When they went up there, the only thing they found were spots of blood and you weren't there" she said

"Wait a sec, _my_ blood?" I asked

April shrugged her shoulders. "Hypothetically speaking? Yes"

"That's ridiculous. There's not a scratch on me" I said, looking at my arms and exposed stomach.

April pursed her lips and took a sip of her lemonade.

"What?" I asked

She put her glass aside before looking at me. "Do you carry bow and arrows, Jade?" she asked

"Yeah…" I said cautiously "Why?"

"They found those too" she explained "Mikey in particular thought you might've swam back to the city, but that didn't explain why you would leave your bow and arrows or why they found blood next to it"

"How do they know it's my blood? It could've been someone else's. Was it fresh?" I asked

April nodded. "It was" she answered "Right now, we don't know if it's yours. Don took a sample and called me not long ago to see if I knew anything"

I shook my head and pressed a hand to my temple. "I'm finding way too many unanswered questions. First of all, knowing me, I'm a decent swimmer, but I can't swim long distances. So there's no way I could've swam all the way back towards the city. Secondly, there's no way it could've been my blood, I don't have a scratch anywhere. And lastly, you're right; I would never leave my weapons behind. My bow and arrows should be in my apartment"

April gave me a funny look. "You mean you don't know?" she asked

"Well, I'm assuming—"

"No, I don't mean your bow and arrows. I'm talking about you. You don't remember coming home last night?" she asked

I opened my mouth to say something then closed it. She was right. The last thing I remembered was being on top of the cliff, but I didn't remember coming home last night.

"Jade?" April said, bringing me back to reality "Jade, what was the last thing you remembered from last night"

"I don't know, I…I blacked out" I answered absentmindedly. I blacked out then I woke up to this morning. I've blacked out twice with no memory of coming home. "I'm training with them tonight anyway. I'll call and let them know I made it home last night"

"You just said you blacked out" April pointed out

"I know. I wasn't feeling that well so I went home" I lied. She still looked skeptical. I didn't know what to tell her. _I_ didn't even know what was going on. She was right though, I didn't remember coming home. I finished the lemonade and jogged back home. I jumped in the shower before heading to the turtles' lair. I hoped Master Splinter didn't teach me something I already knew.

~o-0-o~

I walked inside their lair and it was dead quiet when I walked in. They all stared. _Shoot, I forgot to call and tell them I was okay_. Raph turned his head from where he was sitting down on the couch. Don looked up from his lab table. Leo was sitting in the middle of the lair and meditating; he opened one eye as I walked in. Mikey walked out from the kitchen. He smiled and ran over when he saw me.

"Jade!" he exclaimed as he pulled me in a bone crushing hug, which took me by surprise "Glad to see you're in one piece dudette!"

"Mikey…can't breathe!" I managed to say

"Whoops, sorry" he said as he set me down and air rushed in my lungs.

"Holy crap, Mikey" I said breathlessly "Keep that up and I'll end up in _pieces_" I added.

"Sorry, sometimes I don't know my own strength" he said, flexing his arms to show off his muscles. The other three came walking towards us.

"April told me you called her" I said to them, before they could ask anything. "Before you guys start bombarding me with questions, I'm telling you right now I don't know what happened, I blacked out and woke up in my apartment"

Don jerked his thumb over at his lab table. "You left those. So you have no idea what happened?"

I shook my head no. There weren't a lot of questions I could answer. Splinter cleared his throat. I walked over to him and the others went about their business. Splinter had lit candles in the middle of the dojo. He asked me to take out the flame without touching the candle. _Piece of cake_ I thought. I did a spinning hook kick over one of the candles and the flame went out. I stopped my left hand right before I hit another candle and extinguished that one too. The rest I took out with my katana. I debated on whether or not I should tell him I was past all of this, but I didn't want to seem rude. After that, I sparred with each of the turtles; Don, Raph, Leo, then Mikey. When I sparred with Mikey, it was over pretty quickly. I guess he probably did it on purpose because he was in the middle of reading a comic. When Mikey swung his nun chuck behind me, I caught it above my head and shifted my weight to the side before pulling him over my shoulder and making him land on the mat. He stared up at me and blinked.

"Sorry, sometimes I don't know my own strength" I told him

"Ha ha, very funny" he said as he jumped up on his feet

"Well done child. I am impressed" Splinter said to me

I glanced over at him. I hope I didn't look too stunned by his compliment. That was something I didn't hear every day.

"Did he just compliment me?" I whispered to Mikey

He gave me a funny look. "Yeah, I guess he did. Why?"

"No reason" I said, still slightly stunned. The more I trained with Splinter, the more I realized how different he was from my master. As far as I remember, my master had never said anything to me like that. It's not like I expected him to. I wasn't complaining about it. It just really surprised me when Master Splinter did. I guess I just wasn't used to it. If I did well, my master wanted to make sure I did better. My master has said some things too, but it wasn't exactly praise.

~_Flashback_~

_The sun was hot on my back. Sweat clung to the side of my face; a lock of hair was sticking to my forehead. My legs were practically screaming out in pain and my breathing was fast and heavy. I felt like I had run a marathon. The cool mud felt good beneath my palms. I wanted to stay there like this and just rest, though I knew I couldn't. _

_"Get up" my master commanded. He had a manriki chain by his side and shook his head disappointingly. "You're weak. You wouldn't last two seconds in the outside world. Your enemy will slaughter you. Stand up!"_

_I pushed myself off the ground with my knees shaking underneath me. He threw the chain in my direction and I dodged it as I picked up the nearest weapon to me which was a bow staff. My master swung his chain in one hand and had a tanto knife in the other. When I turned around again, my master had thrown the chain towards me and wrapped it around the bow staff and tugged it out of my hands. He ran towards me with his knife and I did a back flip to get away. When I landed on my feet again, my master threw his knife and it barely missed my arm. I didn't look at him because I knew what his face would look like. I knew he had expected me to catch it. He pulled out his sword and pointed it at my face. _

_"It this how you would confront your enemy?" he demanded_

_"No" I answered quietly_

_"What was that?"_

_"No" I said again, this time more clearly._

_"Stay alert" he commanded_

_I felt worse than I did before. I was dizzy and tired, but I kept my focus. He swung the chain at my legs and I jumped over it. He grabbed the katana from his hip and swung it towards my head. I caught it in between my hands and threw a spinning roundhouse kick only to have the sword graze again my leg. I fell again and clutched my leg in agony. He stood above me and stared at me in disappointment. _

_"Too slow. You cannot let you're injuries prevent you from fighting" he said sharply "Get up"_

_Once again I tried to stand up, but my leg vibrated violently and resisted my effort. I don't know why I tried to. Maybe I was trying to prove something to him. I didn't know why I even bothered; his opinion of me would never change. I knew that. He shook his head disapprovingly. _

_ "You are pathetic and weak" he said "I must say Jade, I am disappointed in you. I would have expected this from my other students, but not from you. I doubt you would last three seconds in battle"_

_I balanced myself on one leg as I stood up. When the sword came in my direction again I moved to the right and disarmed him. My master had lunged towards the manriki chain and threw it towards my leg and yanked on it. I ended up staring at the blue sky. _

_"You let your guard down too soon" he said, unsatisfied. He gathered his weapons and walked back to his dojo. "We will continue this tomorrow" he said _

_I sat up on my elbows and examined my wounded leg. _I better get that fixed before tomorrow_ I thought, exhaustedly._

~Present~

"Miss. Gallagher, are you alright?" Splinter said

"Huh?" I said, coming back to reality. "Yes, I'm fine"

He let me take a break while he watched Mikey and Raph spar. Leo sat next to him and watched his brothers. Don was working at his lab table with something. I walked over to him.

"What're you up to, Don?" I asked, looking over his shoulder

"I'm trying to figure out how I can create a camouflage system for our lair" he said, scribbling a note next to the blueprint he had in front of him "No that's not it" he mumbled as he impatiently rubbed the eraser on the note

"Take it easy, Don. Who'd be looking for you in the sewers anyway" I said

"You never know" he pointed out "Oh, here's your bow and arrows"

I took them from his outstretched hand. "I'm actually thinking about selling these. They're a bit of a hassle to carry, that's why I usually grab my sword"

He pulled out one arrow and measured it with the length of his arm horizontally then vertically. He gently bent it, before looking at my bow and examining that next. "They're in good condition. I think I might be able to fix that problem. It might take a while though"

I was about to tell him something when Master Splinter called my name and beckoned me to join him. I sparred with Don and Leo at the same time. Five minutes into sparring with them, my horrible headache was back. This time I was starting to have weird flashes and a man's scream. It was an unfamiliar scream though. I didn't recognize it. I was staring at a puddle of blood in the middle of an alley and someone screaming in pain.

"What happened?" Don asked, staring down at me with his bow staff in his hand

I realized in the middle of sparring I had fallen to my knees. I felt dizzy and clammy like I was coming down with a fever again. When I stood up, I felt sick to my stomach. Leo (who was about to attack me from behind) put his swords back in his scabbard and stared at me with a confused look. Don put his hand on my arm to steady me.

"Are you sick?" he asked

"I feel like it" I answered, before turning to Master Splinter "I think I've had enough training for one day, I'm going to head home sensei"

He nodded once to me and I gathered my katana before heading towards the door. Don came and gently put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked suspiciously

"Yeah" I answered "I just need a little rest"

"So when your eyes turn red that's just a normal everyday thing for you?" he asked

I turned around and faced him. My vision didn't turn into a tinted red so how could…? My thoughts trailed on. Now I was really worried "My eyes turned red?" I asked "When?"

"Right before you fell on the ground. At first I thought I was imagining it, but you were sort of staring blankly as if you were in some sort of trance" he explained.

I didn't know how to reply. I was in a trance? "I can't explain that" I said quietly "Excuse me, I have to go" I added as I walked inside the chamber and into the street. I walked with my head down in case my eyes did turn red again and people walking by saw. I decided to skip night patrol just this one night. When I walked inside my apartment there was a _crunch_ underneath my shoe. I looked down and picked up the picture I had thrown against the door earlier. My mouth twitched when I looked at the picture again and put it by my window. I made a mental note to buy a new frame. My headache happened again. _Sentimental bitch_ a voice in my head said. Rebecca. I remembered my conversation with April as I headed towards the bathroom. I didn't have a scratch on me, but then I remembered how fast I was beginning to heal after Bishop's experiment. I wasn't bringing myself home. Something or someone else was. I remembered what Rebecca had said to me earlier. _I'm getting stronger._ Could that mean she was controlling me? All the blackouts I've been having, the headaches, the red eyes, coming home without any memory of it. _I underestimated you, Jade. _I stared at myself in the mirror and slowly my eyes turned red and my teeth sharpened. My skin turned chalky white. This time though, I didn't feel any pain. My heart raced as I stared at my appearance. I looked like a monster.

"Bishop, what've you done to me?" I whispered

**End of Chapter 20.**

**For those of you that are a little confused as to what's going on with Jade, let me explain. Bishop experimented on her and she's having all these symptoms that are getting worse and she's having a bunch of 'blackouts'. The reflection that talks to her in the mirror is something like her alter (or another personality if you want to think of it like that). Also, yes, Jade's "alter" has a name, it's Rebecca.**

**Also to my Guest's question "Is it going to be a JadexLeo fic?": All I can tell you is that you're going to have to read and find out:) I have everything planned out for the most part, but I'm not going to spoil anything:)**

**I'm more than happy to answer any questions you guys have so please message me BUT if your question will be answered in later chapters I'll let you know. (I don't like giving spoilers! Sorry!) **

**Anyway, thoughts, feedback, review! Please! (Chapter 21 in progress!)**


	21. A Killer Within

**I find it a little amusing you guys have already made pairings when I haven't even gotten to the romance yet (I still love you guys!). All I'm saying is I don't want you guys to be disappointed when you read future chapters. Like I've said before, things are going to get dark! Thank you Guest, Purplbuni21, Guest, georgeisthewin, and FearlessDragoness for reviewing! Kinda short chapter, though I hope you like it! Enjoy! **

"Jade? Jade, are you okay! What's wrong?" Whitney asked frantically, as she put her hands on both of my shoulders

I clutched my head tightly in my hands and bit back all the screams that were forming in my throat. I didn't know what to do, so I ran. Ryan looked startled as I ran past him. I shoved my way through grumpy customers as they stared at me running through the door. I felt like my skin was on fire. My head was burning with pain. I ran into the streets and blindly shoved my way through people. I felt like I was going to melt into a puddle. My skin burned that much. Once I reached my apartment, I practically threw the door down and ran to the bathroom. I turned on the cold water as far as it would go and yanked my shirt off, but it didn't do any good. Every part of my body burned. I started to have weird flashes, the same ones I had the day before. I sank to my knees and clutched my head. I could see the flash again. _What's wrong with you?_ Someone asked. _Stay away from me!_ I had snarled. The person screamed and I saw his face clearly. It was Dave. He was in the alley, staring blankly at the sky in a pool of his own blood. I cleaned the blood off my hands and walked back inside.

My eyes widened. "Oh god" I whispered in horror. It was me. I did it. I killed Dave.

"_Finally_, you figured it out" Rebecca said

I didn't look in the mirror, but stared at my bathroom floor. "You…you killed him" I whispered. I was in so much shock, I didn't want to move.

"No, _you_ killed him" Rebecca corrected

"How could I?" I said "You were in control, not me"

"_Mentally_, I was" Rebecca explained "I only told you to do it and you followed through. Sure, you weren't in control of your own body, but you didn't do anything to fight it either. So the death's on you"

I suddenly felt a burst of energy form in my body. "What's happening to me?" I managed to choke

"You mean all that energy you're feeling? It's that urge to kill remember? You want to strike again, Jade. And you want to strike hard"

I grabbed the edge of the sink and pulled myself off the ground. I was standing there in my black bra and faded jeans with horror etched on my face. My vision was normal, but my eyes were red and pupils were black slits. My teeth were razor sharp, but I felt no pain this time. This wasn't a good sign. I was a monster. A million questions ran through my head. What else have I done? How many more people did I kill? How could I stop it?

"Jade?"

I turned my head to see Kelsey standing in my bedroom. _Oh no_.

"You're door was open and I heard you scream, what's wrong?" Kelsey asked as she stepped towards me.

_Do it, Jade. Go for the jugular_ Rebecca said in my head

"No!" I screamed as I stepped back. I put my arm out in front of me and tried to resist the urged to lunge at her. "Kelsey, get back!" I commanded

"Jade, what's going—"

"I SAID GET BACK!" I shouted and glared at her. I felt the back of my legs press against the tub. Kelsey widened her eyes.

"Oh god…your eyes" she said

"I don't want to hurt you" I said "Stay away"

Without saying anything else, she ran out of my room. I ran and locked my bedroom door, before sinking in a corner of my room. I killed someone. Like I said before, I had no intention of killing Dave. A wave of guilt swept over me. I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my chin on top. What was I going to do? I had intentions of killing Saki, but not anyone else. I watched the clock tick as an hour went by. It felt more like five hours to me. I heard voices outside my door. I heard Kelsey's voice.

"Thanks for coming" I heard her say. Had she been sitting in my living room this whole time, even after I told her to run?

"What's going on?" someone else asked. It was Don.

"I don't know, something's really wrong with Jade. I thought maybe you could help" Kelsey explained. My ears were already sensitive to begin with. Now thanks to my newly extreme sensitive ears, I could hear everything they were saying as if they were talking right in front of me.

"Where is she?" someone else asked. It was Raph.

I hugged my knees tighter to my chest as I heard the doorknob turn. Don stood in my doorway.

"Oh…sorry" he said, awkwardly before stepping back out and my sister walked in.

I turned my head, slightly blushing when I realized I didn't have a shirt on, only my bra and jeans; even though my body was hidden behind my legs. My body still felt like it was set on fire. Kelsey went to my closet and pulled out one of my jackets despite it being ninety degrees outside.

"I know something's wrong with you" she said to me "I called Donny here because I think he can help"

"Kelsey, you have to stay away from me" I told her "I'm a monster"

She completely ignored me and helped me stand up. I reluctantly put on my jacket and walked into my living room, with Kelsey standing close behind me. All four of them were there. Obviously my small apartment didn't have the right tools Don needed so we followed them back to the lair to run tests on me. I couldn't help but wonder if this was how a lab rat felt like. Being checked, examined, and occasionally stabbed with needles. Donny took a sample of my blood and examined it, while I sat quietly in a chair. I felt pairs of eyes staring at me.

"You're blood seems to be okay for the most part, except…" Don said finally

"Except what?" I asked as he gave me a suspicious look.

"Jade, when was the last time you ate?" he asked

His question threw me off for about a minute. "You mean ate like a meal or…?"

"Anything" he said "Meal, snack? Anything. When was the last time you ate?"

"You're blood's just starting to show signs of malnutrition" Kelsey put in, looking up from the microscope.

I couldn't believe that Kelsey, the girl who had been so afraid of needles was suddenly on a career path of becoming a doctor. I began to think about when was the last time I had eaten anything. Another wave of dread washed over me when I realized the answer to their question.

"A week ago" I answered. How did I not notice that I had suddenly lost interest in food?

"A week?" Raph repeated "And it never occurred ta you that there might be something off about that?" he demanded

"I didn't realize it until now" I told him coolly, trying to keep myself leveled as well.

Leo sat down in a chair. "I think you should start talking" he said calmly

I told them what had happened from the museum robbery to finding a weird science lab where Bishop practiced mutations. Then I received raised eyebrows when I told them about my "alter". I didn't blame them for not believing me. Don rubbed his chin.

"Maybe you should stay here for tonight. I'll take some more tests tomorrow" he said

"No" I said quickly "I killed someone, Don. What if Rebecca takes over again in the middle of the night and kills one of you in your sleep?"

Mikey gulped. "Well, when you put it like that…"

I leaned back on the chair and twisted my finger around the chain of my necklace. "The worst part is that I can't go home either. What if I kill someone else?"

"Ahem"

We all turned our heads to see Master Splinter standing outside his dojo. I wondered if he had heard everything I just said. He walked towards us and looked at me. "Perhaps I can be of assistance" he said

~o-0-o~

"Uh, Master Splinter what're we doing in front of our old home?" Mikey asked

"This was your old home?" I asked, looking inside the frankly dark cave.

Splinter was drawing different symbols around the entrance with chalk. I didn't know how a bunch of symbols in chalk would prevent me from killing someone else. He began to chant something and for a minute the symbols glowed in a faint purplish color. Splinter stopped chanting and faced me.

"Enter" he said

I obediently stepped inside the dark cave and turned to face him. "How is this supposed to help me?" I asked

"It is a barrier" he explained "It prevents you from stepping out unless the symbols have been tampered with. I'm afraid you will have to stay here until you have returned to your normal health"

I outstretched my hand and he was right. I felt an invisible wall blocking my way from the turtles. I couldn't say I exactly approved of the idea of staying in a dark cave, but it was probably the only choice I had. Kelsey looked just as skeptical.

"We'll bring you food and water" Don said "I'll keep studying the blood sample and see if I can work out a cure"

"Is a cure possible?" I asked anxiously

"It's attainable" he answered

I sighed. "Is that the best you can give me?" I asked

"For now? Yes" he said

~Kelsey~

"I'm not so sure about this" I told them with my arms folded.

I was staring at my sister inside a cave as if she was some caged animal. Couldn't there be a better way? Jade glanced over at me and I guess she saw my worried look.

"I'll be fine" she assured me. She was tough, I knew that.

"How long will it take for you to find a cure?" I asked Donny

"Right now, I'm not too sure" he said uncertainly

Jade sank down against the wall. She looked exhausted. I hoped a cure for her was possible. Her creepy red eyes had really freaked me out earlier, but I didn't like the idea of her staying down here in a dark cave. What if she went crazy? I know I would. I looked over at Donny again. "If you're going to keep her here, I'm gonna want updates" I said

"If anything changes, I'll let you know" he agreed

I felt really bad for leaving Jade like this, but there wasn't much I could do now. All of us were heading back their lair when we heard shuffling behind us. Jade was suddenly standing up again and her eyes were blood red and her teeth were razor sharp. She glared at all of us, but mostly Splinter.

"Let me out of here you old rat" she said in non-Jade voice

Raph folded his arms across his chest. "Well, what do know? She was tellin' the truth" he said

"And from the looks of it, her alter doesn't seem too friendly" Leo said

"You must be Rebecca" Don said, stepping just right before the barrier.

"No shit" she told him "You're really smart for a mutated frog" she spat

"Jade…" I started and she glared at me "Jade, I know you're in there, just—"

"Jade's not home right now, can I take a message?" she said sarcastically. Three seconds passed and her features returned to normal.

"Sis?" I said

"Nope, it's still me" Rebecca said smugly "You assume that just because my eyes are normal, it's your bitch sister? Guess again, honey"

She groaned for about a minute and rubbed her head. She blinked and looked at us, confused. "You're still here?" she asked

We all shared a strange look. "Jade…?" Mikey said uncertainly

"What happened?"

*Next day*

It was Tuesday. I woke up early so I could get to Jade's workplace and tell her boss she was out sick today. When I walked inside, everything smelled like toffee and caramel. _Yum_ I thought. I approached the cashier that stood behind the counter.

"Is your boss here?" I asked

"Sorry, we're not hiring" she answered rudely

"I'm not here to look for a job. I just want to talk to your boss" I said calmly

"Ryan!" she shouted over her shoulder.

A man with brown hair emerged from the back room. "How can I help you?" he asked

"Actually, I came here to talk to you regarding my sister. Jade? She works for you, doesn't she?" I asked

He raised an eyebrow. "Jade is your sister?" he asked, to which I nodded "Well, that's interesting. I didn't know she had a sister. She tends to keep to herself" he explained

I sighed. My sister had changed so drastically, it scared me. She used to be very social. Jade only ever kept to herself if something was wrong, which even that was rare! Why she refused to acknowledge Dad? I had no clue. "Anyway, I just came here to tell you that my sister won't be in for a while. She…she caught the flu" I quickly made up

He raised an eyebrow. "The flu?" he repeated "This time of year?" he asked

"Yeah, she doesn't exactly have a strong immune system" I lied. I held in a small laugh. Knowing my sister, not even flu would slow her down.

"Do you know how long she'll be out for?" he asked

"I can't be sure. I'm sorry it's really short notice, but she just caught it yesterday" I fibbed

"Yesterday? Well, that's interesting" he said more to himself. The cashier looked at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"What?" I asked

"Yesterday she ran out of here faster than a speeding car. Your sister looked like she was having a panic attack"

_Panic attack? _I thought. I wonder if she had told Don about anything like that. I stayed and talked to Jade's boss for a little longer before heading back to my place. I really hoped Jade would be okay. Few days passed and Don still didn't give me any update on my sister. I was beginning to worry. So far the only thing they were able to tell me was that Jade and this Rebecca-alter-thing were switching occasionally. They told me they were beginning to have a hard time telling the difference between Rebecca and Jade every time they would talk to her. Leo said they'd come over today to give me an update, he said it was probably better that we all talk in person than over phone. It would make me less anxious. I hope he was right. I was waiting in my living room and trying to distract my mind by watching TV. _Tap, tap_. I jumped up when I saw the four of them standing on the other side of my sliding door. I let them in. "How is she?" I asked, getting right to the point.

"You want the good news or the bad news?" Leo asked

I looked at each of their faces. "Let's go with the good first" I suggested

Don folded his arms across his chest. "Well, the goods news in that I've been studying the serum she'd been infected with and I think I might be able to formulate a cure for her, but it'll take some time" he said

"And the bad news?" I asked worriedly

Don sighed. "And the bad news is that she's getting worse"

~Turtles~

Kelsey put her hands on her hips. "That's not _bad_ news, that's awful news. What's happening to her?" she asked

Mikey sat down on the couch. While the rest of them stood in front of Kelsey.

"She's not eating" Mikey explained

She pushed back her long blonde hair away from her forehead. "Then do something to make her eat, don't let her starve" she said

"Oh, that's not what he meant" Don said quickly "She's eating, but her body is rejecting the food. Something tells me it's not because of her…"

"This Rebecca thing is making her reject the food" she concluded to which Don nodded. Kelsey sighed and sat down next to Mikey on the couch.

"I don't think this alter of hers eats "normal" food. I don't think this alter is even human" Don explained

Kelsey rested her chin on her fist. "So Jade has some kind of monster inside of her that's probably eating away at her insides?"

"No. If it was, then Jade would probably be dead a long time ago. There aren't any visible wounds on her either, so I don't think its goal is to kill her. I think Rebecca is sort of using Jade like an armor. It's a theory"

"Not making me feel any better" she said, before burying her face in her hands.

Mikey squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, your sister's a tough cookie, she can beat it. I'll bet my nun chucks on it" he assured

"What if she doesn't?" she pointed out, before shaking her head "Never mind, don't answer that. Have you guys tried talking to her? I mean "Jade" Jade?"

"Well…" Raph started as he sat down on the opposite couch "No offense ta your sister, but she's not much of a talker. Has she always been Miss. Gloom and Doom?"

Kelsey shook her head. "Never" she said "She would talk all the time. I don't know what happened to her, but it's really starting to bother me"

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Kelsey, but I overheard your conversation with Jade that day we met you. Jade doesn't talk with her dad?"

"Apparently. I think Jade's moodiness has something to do with him. Anyway, I'm more worried about Jade right now. Did you guys ever notice her acting strangely before?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders. "Not really, except maybe when she went crazy over this one robber about a robot kid" he explained

Raph chuckled. "That's just her. I was there when she sweet talked two knuckleheads into goin' home that night. Then one minute we're both fightin' Purple Dragons and the next she's practically cooing at some kid in a stroller, it was kinda weird." Raph said "I guess she's got a soft spot when it comes ta kids" he added more towards Kelsey

The four of them looked at her for confirmation. She just shrugged. "Kids in general, I'm not so sure, but she does have a soft spot when it comes to Denise"

"Denise?" Leo asked

Kelsey took a picture off from the windowsill and handed it to him "Our little cousin. She recently turned six" she explained

Leo looked at the picture of a small girl smiling brightly up at him.

"Maybe Jade will feel better if she had this" Kelsey suggested

"Don't be so sure" Raph said

"Yeah" Mikey agreed "She already spends a lot of time looking at a picture of your brother" he said

Kelsey looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "My what?" she asked

"A small picture of your brother" Don repeated

Kelsey looked from each of them as if she thought they were crazy. "Uh, guys? I don't have a brother" she said

The four turtles looked at each other, confused. They didn't know how to respond. "Are you sure?" Leo asked

Kelsey raised an eyebrow at him. She clearly thought they were crazy. "Guys, I think I'd know if I had brother or not. Unless, Jade knows something I don't. Does she?" she asked all of them

None of them answered. "Never mind" Don said, "We better head back. I have to finish with that cure before Jade becomes any worse"

The others agreed and jumped down the fire escape. They were talking for so long; they didn't realize how dark it had gotten.

"That was extremely awkward" Mikey said, as they all jumped through the manhole

"Why would Kelsey not know about her own brother?" Leo wondered

"Then who is that little guy? Boyfriend? Cousin?" Mikey suggested

"Why would she keep a baby picture of her boyfriend?" Raph said

"Kelsey didn't say anything about having another cousin" Leo pointed out "And if it's her brother, then why doesn't Kelsey know about him?"

"Maybe it is her brother, just not _full_ brother" Don said

Raph rolled his eyes. "Half-brother? C'mon Don, you aren't thinkin' one of their parents' had an affair, are ya?"

"I'm theorizing" he said "I mean think about it, Kelsey said so herself that Jade was really close with her mother"

"So what you're sayin' is their mom had an affair and told Jade about it and not Kelsey" Raph said "That doesn't exactly makes sense, Don"

"Maybe not, but think about this for a minute. Remember when we took them to see Splinter? Jade said so herself that Kelsey isn't usually afraid to speak her mind. So what if—and this is a giant "if", again I'm only theorizing—suppose their mother _did_ have an affair and trusted Jade with it but not Kelsey, because she knew Kelsey would most likely spill the beans at some point? That could be what Jade's hiding from her sister" Don said

"Sounds possible, but not too likely" Leo said "I guess that would _maybe_ explain her hatred for her dad, but still doesn't sound too possible"

"Like I said before, it was only a theory. I wasn't concluding anything" Don said "Do you think Jade would tell us?"

"Nope" Mikey said, popping the _p_

**End of Chapter 21.**

**Now I know what you guys are thinking "Great, more unanswered questions", but I promise all will be explained soon. Please review!**


	22. The Shredder Strikes Part 1

**I don't have much to say so here's Chapter 22. Enjoy!**

~Leonardo~

"What did I tell ya, double katana? Pretty sweet, huh" I said proudly of my swords

"Nice one, Leo" Donny said. I caught a hint of annoyance in his voice

"Lucky" Raph muttered as he sat up

"Not so lucky for my tail. It just got kicked" Mikey complained as he rubbed his head

"Well fought Leonardo" Splinter said behind me.

My brothers and I lined up in front of him. I bowed to him.

"Thank you, sensei" I said

"You have won, but do you know why?" he asked

"Well, I have the superior weapons" I said, holding up both my swords against each other "I read what sword master Musashi said 'The katana blade holds the soul of steel and is the truest guide to the warrior's way', which is kind of how I feel"

Master Splinter's face was indifferent. He didn't seem so impressed now. "Many things are said, but few are true"

"Huh?" I said, confused. I could hear Mikey snickering behind me. Apparently, Master Splinter did too.

"Michelangelo" he said sternly "Do you think I am funny?"

"Um, yeah, sometimes. There was that time when you told us that joke about the ox and the sparrow, it wasn't really a joke, but it was funny and—" he stopped, when Donny elbowed him in his ribs "I mean, no Master Splinter"

Master Splinter walked in front of me and set his walking stick aside and his hands behind his back. "Leonardo, attack me with your katana"

"Master Splinter, I…"

"Do it now" he commanded

I swung my sword towards his head, but Master Splinter caught it between his hands. I gasped.

"Is this the great and glorious weapon of which you speak, helpless before an old rat, such as myself? Again, with both" he commanded

This time I used both my swords and swung them. Master Splinter blocked them every time with his walking stick. He disarmed my swords from my hand and they clattered on the floor.

"In the hands of a true ninjitsu master, anything can be a deadly weapon" he told me

Raph, Don and Mikey snickered in the corner.

"Remember, a weapon is only as good as the arm that wields it, Leonardo" he said, as he threw his walking stick at the punching bag and it went right through it. "Until, you have learned this lesson, you have learned nothing"

I felt an inch tall. I told Master Splinter I was going to go get some air. I was walking through the long tunnel.

"What's the matter, Leo? Splinter bruised your ego? Don't bother hiding it, I heard everything"

I turned to see Jade leaning against the wall close the barrier. I didn't know if it was her or Rebecca so I kept walking.

o-0-o

"I don't get it" I said angrily "What haven't I learned!" I ran and did a flip in the air, before throwing a stack of newspapers in the air with my foot "My skills the best it's ever been!"

I turned every newspaper into scraps of paper with my swords right before they hit the ground. "I–just—don't—get it!" I said, breathing heavily "Master Splinter just doesn't understand how important these swords are to me"

I froze in my spot. Something was wrong. I felt it in my gut. I turned around and sliced an arrow in two pieces right before it hit my shoulder. I stood there for a minute in a crouched position, before safely stowing my swords on my back. I picked up the piece of the arrow that had a note attached to it. This time it was definitely not Jade's arrow. I untied the string from the note.

_Warrior, if you are reading this note you have passed the first test. I call upon you as a point of honor to meet with me if you follow the way of Bushido. You will come and you will come alone. _

Well, this was odd. This note was almost similar to Jade's, she also told me to come alone. Hers was also sent by arrow, but this note made me more suspicious. At least with the note Jade sent me, I knew who it was from. I read the address at the bottom.

"Hm, that's not far" I said as I jumped down into an alley and headed towards the given location.

It looked like an old abandoned warehouse. I looked around my surroundings, but it was completely abandoned. I opened the door and walked inside. It was dark. I followed the hall into a dimly lit and wide dojo. It was deserted. "Hello?" I called uncertainly. I stopped and gasped when I saw the panels that leaned against the wall. It was a foot with three toes pointed outwards. The other ninjas had that symbol on their uniforms.

Suddenly several ninjas jumped out of nowhere and surrounded me in a circle. I pulled out my sword and waited for one of them to attack first. I lunged away from three ninjas and knocked them all down with a spinning roundhouse kick. Their swords weren't as durable and I was able to slice their blades in half. Eventually, I was able to defeat all thirteen of them. Few of them groaned. I heard a single person clapping from the shadows and turned in the direction from where I heard it.

"Impressive" he said. His voice was deep and rough, almost sounded like he had a sore throat. "Very impressive. My agent said you were good, but their description doesn't do you justice" he said as he stepped away from the shadow. He had dark hair and was wearing a gray, white, and black kimono "I am Oroku Saki. Eighth generation master of ninjitsu and you are?"

I put my sword back in my scabbard and bowed my head "Leonardo" I answered

~Splinter~

I set the tray down in front of the barrier. It was a bowl of grain and water. I sat down and waited calmly. There was a shuffling of feet and she emerged from the darkness of the cave. She came as close as the barrier would allow her to. She slid down against the wall and glared at me. Her eyes were normal, though I knew it wasn't Miss. Gallagher I was looking at. She looked unusually gaunt around her face and frail.

"What do you want, you old rat?"

"I have come to speak with Miss. Gallagher" I said to this Rebecca calmly.

"She's not in right now, can I take a message?" she said before looking down at the tray of food "And in case you don't know, she rejects food. She'll eat little or nothing because she can't stomach it"

"Because you force her to reject it" I stated

She smirked. "You're smart for a rodent" she said "Yes, I'm making her reject it. If she gets weaker, I grow stronger. Besides, she has nothing better to do than mope about her past and feel guilty about killing someone"

"You underestimate her, she is far stronger than you can imagine" I said

"If you really care about her health, rat, you could start by giving her proper food"

"By that, you mean the proper food for you" I said calmly "So tell me, what is it you eat?"

"Blood" she answered "I was made to crave blood"

I stared at Miss. Gallagher's face. "I know you are in there, Miss. Gallagher. You can fight this"

She blinked and looked at me with a confused expression before shaking her head.

~Jade~

I blinked and looked around me. Master Splinter was sitting on the other side of the barrier. I looked at the tray he had it front of him. There was a glass of water and a bowl of assorted trail mix.

"Master Splinter?" I said, confused "What're you doing here?"

He smiled and pushed the tray through the barrier towards me. I didn't touch it. My body didn't want it. Everything I ate tasted like dirt in my mouth. I was hungry, but whatever I ate I might as well as be eating air.

"I presume it must become lonely sitting in this cave in the dark" he said "I thought perhaps I could keep you company" he added

"Where're the others?" I asked weakly and he pointed at the ceiling. "Topside, of course" I muttered

"How long have you been training in ninjitsu, Miss. Gallagher?" he asked

I sighed. I didn't like people asking me questions about my past. It was a dark place for me, but I enjoyed Master Splinter's company. It would get lonely sitting in this cave by myself. "Two years. More or less" I answered

He nodded slowly. "Two years? And yet, you have advanced farther than my sons"

I shifted my position so I was facing myself to him. "I'm a bit of a fast learner" I explained

"Though still. My sons have been practicing ninjitsu all their life" he said and looked at me suspiciously

"My master was…" _Crazy?_ "Strict. He could care less if my legs broke in two, but he trained me past my ability"

"I assume he taught you much"

"He taught me very differently than how teach your sons. He had several rules. His first and most important one was to never trust anyone"

"Only because there are rules, does not mean they are always right"

"I suppose so" I answered. My master might've been a little strict or crazy, but the way he turned me into the ninja I am today. I owed him a lot. That's why I let him train me the way he wanted to train me. I was a lot stronger than I was before.

"And yet you have placed your trust in my sons" Master Splinter said

"They've earned my trust for an alliance. With all do respect sensei; I'd rather keep the rest of my life private"

He nodded. "I can respect that. Though, I must disagree that your previous master and I differ. I suppose he did teach you how to fight with honor?"

I shook my head no. "My master never taught me about honor. He never mentioned anything about that. Instead, he taught me to fight and protect the same way you taught your sons to fight with honor"

"And what of your parents?" he asked

"What about them?"

"How was your relationship with them? From what I have heard from Miss. Copeland, your father is alive and well" he said

"I was nothing but a disgrace and a humiliation to him" I replied, shaking my head "He didn't care about me and that's fine because I'm doing well without him" I added coolly

"All fathers care for their children, especially their daughters" he said

"Tell that to mine" I said quietly

He didn't ask me anymore questions on the subject. I was grateful. He began to tell me stories of universal challenges, someone named Daimyo, and multidimensional challenges called the Battle Nexus. I've never heard of multidimensional challenges. I didn't even know other dimensions existed. I listened intently to every story he told. Each one interested me better than the last, but the one I paid attention to the most was the story of his Master Yoshi. By the end of that one, I was just in shock.

"Do your sons know?" I asked

"They know of my Master Yoshi, but they do not know the whole truth" he explained

"Why didn't you tell them, Master Splinter?"

"Hatred is a poison, Jade. It may seem to be nothing at first, but then it consumes you entirely until you have no control. It can make you do terrible things"

I sighed. "Why did you tell me all of this?"

"You may have only trusted my sons and I with an alliance, but you must know you can trust us entirely. Whatever it may be, you may confide in me"

I was quiet. What did he want me to say? Did he want me to spill my guts to him? My past was one secret I would take with me to the grave. Why did he care? My problems and my past shouldn't concern anyone, but me. I didn't care who it was! Like I've said before, my trust with the turtles and Splinter was simply an alliance trust. That's it! Trusting them with my heart and soul was on a completely different level. Master Splinter sighed and picked up his walking stick.

"Very well" he said calmly with a smile as he stood up

He turned around and walked in the direction of his lair. Then I realized something. Why did he tell me about the story of his Master Yoshi before he told his sons? Was it because I knew who Saki was and the turtles didn't? He trusted me enough to tell me about his master who was like his family. I wasn't sure how to think. He knew. I know he knew. I tried to stand up using the wall. I felt like my strength was draining from me every minute. I thought I was going to pass out.

"Wait" I managed to croak. My knees buckled beneath me and I slid back down against the wall.

Master Splinter turned around and raised an eyebrow before taking a few steps toward me. "Are you alright?" he asked

"You know, don't you?" I said weakly

"Know what?" he asked

"You know" I breathed "Why do you need me to say it?"

"I do not accuse you of anything, child" he said coolly

_Why does he call me that?_ I felt annoyance bubble in the pit of my stomach. That wasn't my annoyance though, it was Rebecca. She was trying to come out again. I fought her. I felt what she was thinking. He wants to hear it from my mouth? Fine. I breathed slowly, calming myself.

"Saki was my master" I said finally

He sat down in front of me once again. "So I've realized"

"He was the one who first introduced me to ninjitsu. He was my first master" I explained "And I wish I never met him"

"I'm sure" he said "Though I think it was hard for you to escape from your master"

"Was" I said "Past tense. He _was_ my master. After I was able to get away from him, I was able to find another. I trained with him for two years, not Saki"

"I see" he said

I heard footsteps approaching from the opposite direction. I knew it was the turtles. I looked back at Master Splinter. "Master Splinter, you can't tell anyone. Not even them" I said as quietly as I could when the four turtles came into view.

"It would not be my place to" he said quietly back to me.

I knew he knew before I told him. This wasn't a secret though. My whole secret was so much bigger than this. Leo stepped towards Master Splinter with a familiar sword in his hand. Usually I would've thought _Huh, ironic_. Right now, I wasn't thinking that. My eyes widened and followed the sword he handed to Master Splinter. It was too familiar, it scared me. It was fancy red and black. Then I knew Leo had met Oroku Saki. _As a gift I bet_ I thought. I might not have been training with Saki for so long, but I knew how his mind worked and what tricks he would play. I glared at Leo. I hope he didn't even _consider_ joining with Saki. Just the thought of it made me angry.

~Turtles~

"Master Splinter?" Leo said

He was sitting in front of Jade. Both suddenly stopped talking when they appeared. He held the sword out to Master Splinter and he took it. His sensei blinked and Jade had her eyes glued to the sword. Did they know something? Master Splinter sighed and looked at her.

"Miss. Gallagher" he said, nodding his head once.

She nodded. "Goodbye" she said

Splinter and the four turtles walked back to the lair. He sat down in front of the chamber door and the turtles sat down in front of him in a meditating position.

"Do you know anything about these people, Master Splinter?"

He sighed while solemnly looking down at the sword Leo had received from Oroku Saki. "My sons, I had hoped this day would never come" he began, before holding up the cloth with the red Foot symbol "I know who these people are, I have always known. This is the symbol of the Foot ninja, their leader is Oroku Saki, but he has another name. He is the Shredder" he said "I have often told you of my beloved Master Yoshi, but now it is time I tell you the whole truth. As you already know, my master was a ninja of great power, one of the greatest practitioners of ninjitsu in many centuries. I was his pet rat and I learned ninjitsu by mimicking his moves. For many years, I was happy. We were a family. However, that life ended when Shredder sent his Foot ninjas to attack my master. My master battled honorably, but through their dishonorable ways the Foot ninja overpowered him. Then the Shredder entered. They accused my master of working for their enemies. They wanted information. They were relentless. My master only said one thing _"He who lives without honor will end without honor"_. I tried to save my master. My efforts were in vain, though I did leave my mark. The Shredder had taken my Master Yoshi from me. From the world…"

The room was quiet. All four of them listened intently.

"Not long after that I found you, my sons and you all know the rest" he said "I never told you all this because I did not want your training to be tainted by the poison of hatred. I did not want you feel the sorrow that is still in my heart, but now you need to know who Saki, the Shredder, really is. He serves no great purpose. He fights no great evil. He is great evil. Any endeavor he undertakes, he does for his own selfish gain"

Leo shook his head. "Man, I am such an idiot" he said, mentally kicking himself

"I could've told you that" Mikey said, playfully elbowing him

"You've been played, bro. He saw you coming a mile away" Don said

"So what are we gonna do about it?" Raph asked

Leo looked around at his brothers. "Shredder wants an answer? I say we give him one, turtle style"

**End of Chapter 22. It's not over yet! Please review! Chapter 23 in progress!**


	23. A Secret Never Told

**Okay, I admit it. Sometimes I have just a ****_little_**** too much free time on my hands lol. Short chapter, though I tried making it longer. Thanks to FearlessDragoness and Guest for reviewing! All reviews make me happy and give me motivation. Here's Chapter 23! EnJoY! **

~Turtles~

They entered the warehouse where Leo had spoken with Saki earlier. It was deserted and quieter than quiet. It gave off an eerie feeling.

"Saki?" Leo called

No answer. His brothers were behind him. They stared around the dojo cautiously. No one was here. Not even the Foot ninjas. The small bit of light came from the moon that was hanging right over the warehouse. Don had wandered off to a corner of the dojo that had a shelf full of books.

"Great space" Mikey commented

"These books look like they haven't been touched in years" Don said, grabbing one of them and dusting it off.

Leo tried calling out again, but there was no answer. The sword was tight in his hand. The place was completely abandoned as if no one had ever been there. This was strange. He had been here not one hour ago and now there wasn't a sign of anyone being there.

"Wow," Donny said, flipping through pages of a book "I think this guy kept track of all the people he killed. By the looks of it, he did it a lot. What do these symbols mean?"

The symbols weren't unique. They were simple; an image of a fire, two people, a house, and another person. Some of the images had lines going through them.

"Don, focus" Raph snapped

"I don't get it" Leo said "No one's here"

"Uh, maybe it was past their bedtime" Mikey said jokingly

"Uh, guys?" Don said, his head still bent over the book

Leo walked in the shadowed areas of the dojo, where Saki had been hiding when he arrived. It was so dark; he couldn't see his own hands. Maybe there was a secret doorway or something. He felt along the walls. Nothing. Was it a trap? Did they know that he was going to reject Saki's offer? Could they be possibly waiting for them? Even the panels with the Foot symbol were gone. The walls were completely bare. He remembered what Saki had said to him. _"Meditate upon what you have heard today and come back with your answer tomorrow night"_. Was he waiting for him until tomorrow night?

"Guys?" Don said, flipping over one page and back again

"Saki said to come with my answer tomorrow night" Leo explained "Maybe he's waiting until tomorrow"

"Should we go back?" Raph said

"Maybe we should. This place is giving me the creeps" Mikey agreed "I mean it's too quiet. A little noise in here might be nice"

"Guys!" Don said loudly

"What?" all three of them said at once.

"You have to come look at this, someone was definitely keeping track of all the people he's killed. Maybe not him, but someone was" he said

"We heard ya the first time, Don" Raph said impatiently

"You have to look at this. I don't what these symbols mean, but that's not what's bothering me" he said, glancing at the front and back of one page. The page on the left had tiny writing on it and the page on the right had several different symbols.

"What's botherin' ya 'bout it?" Raph asked

"This" Don said, holding it open to a particular page so they could see. "Jade's name is in here"

They all looked at each other skeptically. That caught all of their attention and they looked over Donny's shoulder. Sure enough, in black cursive ink was _Jade Gallagher_.

"What's it say?" Mikey asked

Don skimmed through one of the pages. "It says she died in a fire. '_Screams could be heard from all directions. The bright red and orange flames devoured the structure of the makeshift home. It collapsed and people watched the rubble burn in silence while several others asked if there was anyone inside. She never made it out. From afar, my master stayed hidden and smiled at his succeeded demise of Jade Gallagher_'. That's only part of it, the rest of it has several different symbols that also look like they tell a story"

"Man" Mikey said "If I hadn't known who Jade was, I'd actually believe she was dead"

"More than that, Jade knows who Oroku Saki is" Don pointed out "Maybe we can learn more about him"

"Only one problem, bros" Mikey said "How do you know it'll be Jade we're talking to?"

"One step ahead of you" Don said "I've finished the cure, it should work, hopefully"

O-0-o

The turtles had returned to their lair and grabbed a few things before heading over to talk to Jade. Don grabbed a thermos with bright red liquid, which was the cure and followed his brothers. Jade was there the same way they had left her. She hadn't moved and she was facing away from them. She looked asleep.

"Jade?" Don said cautiously

She didn't answer. Maybe she was sleeping. Her locket was lying right outside the barrier. Why was it there? Raph picked up a tiny rock and threw it in her direction. She twitched and turned her head. She had circles underneath her eyes and her face was gaunt. Her hair carelessly swept over her shoulders. In a way, she looked close to death.

"Splinter know you're here?" she asked in a dry cracked voice

Donatello set down his duffel. "No, he's back at the lair" he answered "We brought you some things and thought maybe you could use some company" he said

"Oh please," she said "You guys aren't here to keep me company, you want something. I can see it in all your faces" she said

Don took out the thermos and a small cup from his duffel.

"Just cut to the chase. What do you want?" she demanded grumpily

"Answers to a few questions" he said

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for story-telling. I think I've done enough for today" she said, turning her head away."And in case none of you have noticed, I'm exhausted"

"This won't take long" Leo said, tossing a blanket next to her "We want you tell us about Oroku Saki" he said

She turned her head again and raised an eyebrow interestingly. "Well, well, you've been a busy boy" she said as she stood up and leaned against the wall to support her. She looked really weak.

"Don't act like you don't know what we're talking about" he said, holding up the sword Saki had gave him "I saw you go rigid when you saw this, which tells me you know something"

"Unfortunately, I don't" she said lazily

Raph chuckled "You're lying. We got proof"

Don held up the book "We went to find Saki, but he wasn't there. Instead, we found this. Know what this is?"

She shook her head boringly. "Why? Should I?" she asked indifferently

"It's something like a hit list of all the people Saki has killed and how he killed; my guess in that one of Saki's men had been keeping tabs. Anyway, your name's in it and says in here that you burned to death in a fire" Don explained and she blinked "Obviously, that's not true"

"You think just because my name's in there, that I would know something about it?" she asked with a small laugh, before shaking her head "I don't know what you're talking about"

"I mean if you don't, I'm sure Leo's new buddy does. Maybe we could ask him" Mikey suggested

_Bang!_ Jade had hit her fist against the invisible barrier, making Mikey flinch. She glared at him "Don't. You. Dare" she said in a deadly calm voice

"I'll take that as a confirmation that you know him. We only want to know more about him" Leo said

"I also brought this" Don said, holding up the bottle of bright red liquid "It should work by now" he added

She eyed the cure in Donny's and back at him. "Like I said before, I have no interest in story-telling. Anyway, I thought knowing that he killed your Master Splinter's master would be enough information for you" she said

"We want to know more about Oroku Saki. Just enough so we know what we're up against" Don said

She looked at all four of their faces one by one. "Fine" she said finally "Do you want me to cut to the chase or start from the beginning so it makes more sense?" she asked

"Whatever part matters" Don said, picking up her necklace and holding it out to her and she took it "So where does this story start?" he asked

Jade held up the necklace. "With him" she told them, showing the picture of the small boy.

The four brothers looked as each other, confused. What did that small boy have to do with anything? They waited for her to explain.

"He's not my brother" she said as she clipped the necklace behind her neck and looked at the picture once before clicking it shut and holding it between her fingers "He's my son"

**CLIFFHANGER! I know, I know I'm evil, but please review and let me know what you guys think and…yeah…*runs***


	24. Truth or Lie

**I swear I didn't mean to keep you guys waiting. I've been so swamped with schoolwork and family stuff, I'm exhausted! I'm glad it's the weekend. It feels great to get away from it for a bit to write, and read all of your reviews. Ha! I loved all of your reactions to the last chapter. It made me smile:) Okay, thanks to movielover123456, my two Guests, FearlessDragoness, GreenCreed, FanO'theNinja121, kika, georgeisthewin, imaginationanimation, and Guess for all of your reviews! This chapter might be a little confusing, but please R&R. Enjoyyy!**

~Turtles~

The four turtles looked at each other to make sure they had heard the same thing; all of them had the same look on their green faces. Had she said what they think she said? They all looked back at her. Son? Had she really said 'son'?

"Your what?" Raph asked, not sure if he heard clearly. She looked at him and didn't blink. Her facial expression saying _you heard right_. She slid down against the wall and sat down on her side. Now Raph knew why she had gone all soft with those kids.

"You…you had a _baby_?" Mikey asked in disbelief

She nodded "This was actually before I met Saki, but if you want it to make sense I have to tell you everything from the beginning. Unless, of course, you want me to cut to the chase and leave you with loopholes?" she suggested

Raph leaned against the wall with his arms folded and Mikey sat down in front of him. Leo sat down on the opposite side. Don placed his things in front of the barrier and filled the small paper cup with the bright red liquid and pushed it through the barrier with his staff.

"Start from the beginning. Take your time" he said

She took a small sip from the cup and coughed before putting it next her. She didn't look any better. Don pushed the cup out from the barrier with his staff again. "It's a long story" she started "I was still living in Florida. Saki was just at the right place at the right time. Two and a half years ago I was living on the street by myself after I was thrown out or…in Kelsey's mind, ran away"

Raph stopped her. "Hold on a minute, back up a little. Thrown out?" he asked

She nodded slowly. "My parents, or my father at least, they disowned me"

The four brothers looked over at one another again. Kelsey said Jade ran away two and half years ago. She said disowned. This wasn't making any sense. Those were two completely different scenarios. Someone was lying.

"You're sister said that you ran away" Leo said, remembering the conversation they had with Kelsey.

Jade rolled her eyes. "That's what that man wants her to think. He didn't want Kelsey to hate him so he lied and told her that I ran away so he wouldn't lose 'the only daughter he had'" she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

"Disown you for what?" Mikey asked, crossing his arms in front of his plastron.

She held the cup in her hand. "Let's just say, he disliked my boyfriend at the time. Then again, what father has ever approved of their daughter having one?" she added before pressing her lips to the edge of the cup. "He wasn't a bad guy, but my father's view of him didn't exactly stop me from seeing him. My then-boyfriend and his family were moving and I wasn't sure if I was ever going to see him again"

"So this ex-boyfriend of yours…you two… you know…?" Mikey asked hesitantly. How was he supposed to ask without making it into an awkward situation? However, Jade seemed to understand what Mikey was trying to say.

She nodded. "Yes, we did. You know what's the ironic part? It was only one time"

"I don't get how this fits in with Saki" Raph said impatiently. "How does your past life have anythin' ta do with this Saki guy Leo jus' met?"

"I'm getting to that" she replied calmly

"Go on" Don said patiently, pouring the next cup.

She sighed before continuing. "After he moved, it came to my knowledge that I was a month pregnant. My actions obviously weren't tolerated by my parents. They were really ashamed. My father didn't have many friends, but everyone in the community knew who he was. He was a well-respected man. You can imagine what he thought his pregnant teenage daughter would do to his reputation"

Donatello, who was listening intently, rubbed his chin. "So…" Don said as he sat down cross-legged in front of the barrier "You're baby was kept a secret" he stated

She nodded. Her color slowly returned to her face, but it was a pale color. "My father gave my baby away to strangers. As for me, they told me to pack my bags and threw me out. I was homeless for a while until I was found by Oroku Saki a.k.a…"

"Shredder" Leo finished "How?"

"Like I said, he was at the right place at the right time. You know the saying 'desperate times call for desperate measures'? Well, that's what I was. Desperate. I didn't have any money, so I had to steal in order to survive. He caught me stealing food one day and followed me to where I had made a makeshift home for myself" she chuckled. "He confronted me, saying I had potential and that he could use me"

"Did you go with him?" Leo asked seriously. He was already angry that he had believed what Saki had told him and he was refusing his offer strongly, but would someone be desperate enough to seek shelter from such an evil man even if living on the street?

She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I didn't have anywhere to go, so of course I did. I might've been a little suspicious so I never told him anything about my family. As far as he knew, I'd been homeless all my life"

"He wanted to use you to steal things for him, you don't think that's saying anything?" he pointed out

Jade glared at him "Do you think I knew he was a bad man at the time? No, of course I didn't and neither did you" she snapped, pointing at the sword. She exhaled calmly. "He was the one that introduced to ninjitsu and began teaching me. In a few weeks I became one of his Foot ninjas. Followed his orders, did what he asked…" she trailed

"So you began working for him?" Mikey asked

"Yes" she answered "Later on I realized what I had gotten myself into. Yeah, he had a hit list, but it was more of a mental one. If you didn't give him what he was looking for, you were a dead man. I've seen him kill people and trust me when I say, he didn't blinked once when he did it. It nearly drove me insane" she said, draping the blanket over her legs

Raph shifted his position. "What drove _you_ insane about it?" he asked

"Every victim he's killed, they'd always look at right at me as if they were asking me to save them. I couldn't do anything"

"And you didn't do anything" Leo stated

"Don't give me that judging tone" she snapped "I was looking out for myself, Leo. Don't act like you wouldn't do the same thing if you were in that situation. Try putting yourself in my shoes"

"You were afraid of him" Donny stated in slight shock "You were afraid if you defied him, he would kill you too"

She leaned against her shoulder and took another cup he pushed towards her. "You're a smart guy, Donatello" she said before looking at the others. "Just because I didn't do anything to save them doesn't mean I didn't want to. You have no idea how many people I've seen him kill. It was frightening"

"How long did ya stay with this guy before ya decided it was time ta bolt?"

She shrugged her shoulder again. "Five? Six months?" she guessed "At least five"

Don filled the paper cup again until pushing it towards her. "What made you run?" he asked

She took the cup in her hand and shook it a little "I finally managed to gather enough courage to realize I didn't belong there" she took a sip from the cup before continuing. "I helped one of his victims escape. It wasn't easy, but I managed to help her get away from him. You can imagine he didn't like that"

"That's when he started hunting ya down?" Raph guessed

"Mm-hmm" she muttered "Saki was infuriated. He wanted to drain every last drop of blood from my body" she added

Leo shifted his position. "Wait a minute, what did he want from this woman?" he wanted to know

"I don't know. I never asked her" she said in a matter-of-fact voice "After we got far enough we parted ways. I never saw her after that. I was basically living on the streets once again, this time in hiding. When I couldn't find any signs of his Foot ninjas, I thought I was safe"

They waited for her to continue. Donny closed the lid on the thermos and placed it back in his duffel. It was half empty. He thought it would've been a better idea to give her a little in case there were side effects. "It didn't end there, did it?"

"No. After I thought I was safe I decided to look for my son, Jeremy" she explained

"I was finally able to track down the strangers that were taking care of him. It might've taken a little convincing, but I was finally able to persuade them that I wanted him back. After all, he was my son. I started taking care of him"

"You started taking care of him? How?" Don asked "You were living on the streets and you had no money"

"Not for long" she interrupted "Somehow my ex had found out that I was pregnant when he left and practically raced back to Florida to find me. He stayed and got a job so he could help me take care of our son, which wasn't exactly easy. I had already dropped out of high school months ago and he did the same. We took turns working full-time. That way, if he was working, I was at home taking care of Jeremy and vice versa"

Donny shifted his position and hesitated before he asked "That didn't last long, did it?"

She was quiet. Jade slowly crinkled the paper cup in her hand until it nothing but a round ball. For a moment, she seemed lost in her thoughts and stared into space. "No" she finally answered darkly. Her skin was white and her eyes gave a faint tint of red "I was walking home from work one day and passed by a warehouse. Through the window I saw Shredder talking to his Foot soldiers. Either by curiosity or stupidity, I snuck over to see what it was all about"

"What were they talking about?" Mikey asked

Jade compressed the cup in her hand tightly and bit her bottom lip. She threw the crinkled ball aimlessly threw the barrier by Raphael's foot. He looked down at cup and back at her with a raised eyebrow. She looked like she was pain as if she was reliving that day. The four brothers looked at one another, unsure if they should ask her any further questions. One thing, however, they didn't understand (Donny in particular) was why she had chosen now to finally talk about her past. He thought about asking her until she finally spoke again.

"Shredder found out about my son" she finally said

Raph, Mikey, Leo, and Don looked at one another. Not sure how to respond. None of them could imagine the horror of a man as evil as Shredder finding out about something like that. Especially when he wanted revenge for something you did. Should they ask any further? Mikey was the first one who spoke up.

"What did you do?" he asked uncertainly

Jade shook her head slowly. "The only thing I could do. I ran" she answered "I went to my family for help. I thought maybe they could keep me safe for a while, but they refused. Except my mother" she said "We had our own little private 'vacation spot' if that's what you want to call it. We hid there for a while"

"Where was this 'vacation spot'?" Donny asked

She chuckled. "You wouldn't believe me, but it was a small island surprisingly and amazingly invisible to the tourist eye" she explained "She faked her death so she could go into hiding with my son"

"Faked her death? What're you talking about?" Leo asked

"My mother's alive" she said simply "She's taking care of my son"

"Alive?" Don repeated in disbelief "Your mother tricked Kelsey into believing she was dead?"

She smirked. "Amazing isn't it? She can be very convincing"

"Why would she do that?" Donny asked

"To help me" she replied

"Then what?" Mikey asked

Jade only shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing. My son's safe and so is my mother"

"Then what about the fire?" Don asked, grabbing the book that was next to his duffel.

She shook her head. "There was no fire"

"Then why would Oroku Saki—"

"I'm done talking" she interrupted. She didn't tell them anything more. Instead, she stood up and disappeared towards the back of the dark cave.

They were hoping they would know more, but now they were only confused. The four turtles started to walk back towards their lair, talking along the way.

"Do you think any of its true?" Mikey asked

"Hardly" Donny replied "I'm having a hard time believing most of it"

They quietly walked inside their home. It was late and Master Splinter was probably sleeping. Donny walked towards his lab table and the other three headed into the entertainment area.

"I just have more questions running through my head" Leo said

Raph sat down on the couch. "I don't think Jade jus' came ta New York ta look for her sister. She's probably holdin' a grudge"

"For what though?" Mikey asked "I mean her kid's safe. Her mom's safe. She practically has all the makings for a happy ending"

Leo rubbed his chin and was thinking hard. "Why would her mom fake her own death to Kelsey and her husband?" he pointed out "It doesn't make sense"

"Maybe…" Donny began as he walked over to where they were. He was sealing the lid of the thermos "because it might not have been Jade we were talking to back there"

The other three were quiet for a moment until they caught on to what he meant. All four of them looked from one to another. Had they been talking to Rebecca and not Jade?

~Rebecca~

I sat in the back of the dark cave, silently chuckling to myself. _Imbeciles. They fell for it. Every truth, they believed it. Every lie, they fell for. More importantly, they thought I was Jade. _I waited. The others were near. I could sense them. I heard the shuffling of their feet. They were coming in this direction. They sensed me too. It was about time. I stood up, feeling the strength and power in me as I did. That so-called cure was pathetic. It did nothing. Though I had to drink it, so they would think I was Jade. I stood as close to the barrier as I could, begging for the freedom to be out of this hole. My friends came into view. I smirked.

"I see Bishop's experiment testing has worked well on you" I said

The big snake slithered towards me. The python was eight times its normal size. Its eyes were red. The same way mine had been when I was starting to gain control of Jade. "Rebecca" the snake hissed in a whisper.

"You've kept me waiting" I said disappointingly

The brown rat (also with red eyes and ten times its size) stepped forward and bowed it's head. "We are sorry, Rebecca. Bishop was rather—"

"I do not care about Bishop" I snapped angrily "He only created me and I will not bow to his feet. He does not control me nor will he ever. Now, remove me from this forsaken hole"

An enormous lizard slithered its way above my head. "And how do we do that, miss?"

"Scratch out the symbols outside this barrier" I commanded

The others followed obediently, picking up a rock from the ground and scratching out each and every symbol. I slowly stepped out, savoring the feeling of freedom. I exhaled calmly. The other rat came forward. "What now, Rebecca?"

I grinned. "I have plans" I answered "And all of you are going to help me one way or another"

None objected. The snake slithered around my leg. "I for one am ssstarving" he hissed

"As am I" the lizard agreed

I looked towards the others who seemed to be in agreement. "Well my friends, how would you feel about turtle soup?"

**End of Chapter 24.**

**Dun dun da! I think it would be safe to tell you guys not to believe everything Rebecca told the turtles. I know a lot of you might be confused, but all will be explained clearly. I promise! Also, the rats, snake, and lizard are the same ones from chapter 9 when they were "normal" (refer back to refresh your memory :)). Please review!**


	25. Rebecca

**Chapter 25:**

**The first part is a bit of a recap from last chapter. Thanks to my lovely reviewers! movielover123456, imaginationanimation, FearlessDragoness, Guest, and FanO'theNinja121. Nothing much to say so here's chapter 25. Enjoy! **

~Rebecca~

I sat in the back of the dark cave, silently chuckling to myself. _Imbeciles. They fell for it. Every truth, they believed it. Every lie, they fell for. More importantly, they thought I was Jade. _I waited. The others were near. I could sense them. I heard the shuffling of their feet. They were coming in this direction. They sensed me too. It was about time. I stood up, feeling the strength and power in me as I did. That so-called cure was pathetic. It did nothing. Though I had to drink it, so they would think I was Jade. I stood as close to the barrier as I could, begging for the freedom to be out of this hole. My friends came into view. I smirked.

"I see Bishop's experiment testing has worked well on you" I said

The big snake slithered towards me. The python was eight times its normal size. Its eyes were red. The same way mine had been when I was starting to gain control of Jade. "Rebecca" the snake hissed in a whisper.

"You've kept me waiting" I said disappointingly

The brown rat (also with red eyes and ten times its size) stepped forward and bowed it's head. "We are sorry, Rebecca. Bishop was rather—"

"I do not care about Bishop" I snapped angrily "He only created me and I will not bow to his feet. He does not control me nor will he ever. Now, remove me from this forsaken hole"

An enormous lizard slithered its way above my head. "And how do we do that, miss?"

"Scratch out the symbols outside this barrier" I commanded

The others followed obediently, picking up a rock from the ground and scratching out each and every symbol. I slowly stepped out, savoring the feeling of freedom. I exhaled calmly. The other rat came forward. "What now, Rebecca?"

I grinned. "I have plans" I answered "And all of you are going to help me one way or another"

None objected. The snake slithered around my leg. "I for one am ssstarving" he hissed

"As am I" the lizard agreed

I looked towards the others who seemed to be in agreement. "Well my friends, how would you feel about turtle soup?"

"Sounds delicious" the rat said "Shall we go find these turtles"

"No" I said sharply. "At least, not yet. Follow me" I said. Before I began to walk, I yanked off the necklace and threw it on the ground. _Stupid slut_. I led them to a ladder and was first to climb up. It was quiet. The alley was deserted. I will kill off those four toads myself if I had to. I just needed them and _all_ their friends out of the way. My new comrades came out behind me. The snake slithered next to me.

"I am hungry, Rebecca. Where are these turtlessss?" he said menacingly.

"Patience, worm!" I said sharply "You can not have the main course without first having the appetizers. The turtles will come to us and I know exactly how to do it"

The white rat was next to speak. "How can you be sure they will come?" he asked

"Oh they will. I know exactly how to bring them" I said, peeking into the street. A motorcycle was coming up. I grinned. "And speak of the devil. I suppose fate has a funny way of working. Stay back" I commanded.

They crawled back into the shadows. I came out on the sidewalk as that vigilante Casey Jones drove up. I fell on my knees and began to cry hysterically. He couldn't be any harder to fool than the turtles. He stopped his motorcycle a few feet away from me.

"Jade? What da hell you doin' out 'ere?" he asked "What's goin' on? What 'appened?"

"Oh Casey, you have to help me!" I cried hysterically "Please help me!"

He patted my shoulder. "Alrigh' I'll help ya, but ya gotta tell me what's wrong?"

I stopped and smile behind my hands. "I'm…I'm…hungry!" I growled, before raising my head and baring all my sharp teeth.

He jumped back "Whoa, what da—?"

He didn't finish, for I lunged at his neck and bit down until he stopped struggling and went limp. I stood up and wiped the blood from my mouth. He tasted disgusting. My friends stepped away from the dark.

"That was a bit much, wasn't it?" the lizard said "Is he dead?"

I ran my tongue over my upper lip. "No, unconscious" I answered "And I plan to keep it that way" I added. The snake swerved its way to the unconscious vigilante and bared both of his fangs, ready to strike. I kicked him away. "What on earth are you doing?!" I demanded

He glared at me with his beady red eyes. "You ssaid so yourself we can't have the main course without the appetizersss. The appetizer is in front of me and I intend to devour it" he said as he crawled towards Casey Jones again.

I grabbed him by his tail. Though enormous, he was no match for my strength. "We use this scum to let the main course come to us!" I threw him against the wall and he fell on top of the brown rat. I looked back at the turtles' close friend "If dead, he's no longer any use to us. We have to keep alive for now. Where are the others?" I commanded

"They are hiding in the boathouse by the docks" the white rat told me.

"Excellent" I said, grabbing the cellular device from Casey Jones's pocket and then his arm. I dragged him to the boathouse.

Once there, I met the other rat, two snakes, and other lizard that were waiting. I laid the limp Casey Jones in front of them. They too looked hungry.

"Bind his hands" I commanded.

They look at me confused, but nodded. They went to find rope. The lizard came next to me.

"What now, miss?" he asked

"Now we wait" I said. I watched the two rats try to bind Casey Jones's hands. Their pitiful small hands made it difficult for them to do so. I approached them with my hands on my hips. I shoved one of them away. "Imbeciles! I'll do it myself" I snapped, quickly tying the rope tightly around his wrists. A trickle of blood trailed down his neck where I had bit him. He flinched as I tied that final knot.

~Turtles~

"Ya think it was Rebecca we were talkin' to?" Raph said

"Maybe" Don replied "I'm pretty sure it was. Though, I don't know why Rebecca would drink this willingly" he added, holding up the thermos.

"Should we go back?" Mikey suggested "If we ask her about it, she'll probably deny it"

Donatello grabbed his duffel bag. "I am" he said "The sooner she drinks this cure, the sooner Jade's back to normal"

They quietly shuffled out of the lair once again and headed there. All of them had different questions running through their heads. Had it really been Rebecca they were talking to? If so, why would she tell them about what happened to Jade? Had she been lying to them? Donny was leading the way and abruptly stopped, causing the other three to run into him.

"Ow! Next time a little warning would be nice" Mikey told him, rubbing his head

"Look," he said, pointing at the wall. The other three stepped to the side and saw the symbols above the barrier were scratched out.

"Oh boy," Raph said, walking over to the entrance of the cave. He picked up Jade's necklace from the ground. She was out.

"Not good. Definitely not good" Leo said "Looks like your theory was right, Don. Rebecca's out"

"Now what?" Mikey asked

"Mike and Donny, you guys scope out the sewers. Raph and I'll hit topside and see if we find anything" Leo said, taking control "Meet back at the Lair in an hour" he added

"Gotcha" Mikey said, as he and Donny ran through the right tunnel.

Raph and Leo climbed up a nearby ladder to the street. They found an abandoned motorcycle in the middle of the street and a small hint of blood.

"That's Casey's ride" Raph said, walking over to the cycle "He'd never leave his ride jus' lyin' around"

Leo reached for his shell cell. "I'll call him" he said, holding the phone to his ear. The ringing continued until there was the sound of someone picking up on the other side. "Casey?"

"Sorry, Casey can't come to the phone right now, can I take a message?"

Leo looked over at Raph, who seemed to have heard the feminine voice. He heard a low growl coming from Raph's throat. Raph yanked the phone out of Leo's hand.

"Where is he?" he demanded into the phone

"I haven't done anything to him yet. Though, I have to tell you my friends are rather hungry"

"_Friends_?" Leo mouthed to which Raph just shrugged

"Where is he, _Rebecca_?" he demanded again

"He's right here, but like I said he can't come to the phone. If you want to know where he is, look for the old boathouse by the docks and you'll find a brown rat. And tell your brother that's listening in on this call, if you want Casey Jones in one piece and not pieces then you two will come alone" she said and hung up.

"That little bitch" Raph muttered, meaning Rebecca.

Leo took the shell cell from Raph called Don. "Donny? I think we know where she is"

~Rebecca~

"…then you two will come alone" I said, hanging up the phone. "You and Raphael seem to have a strong bromance. That's very romantic" I added sarcastically towards Casey.

"Who da hell are you?" he said to me. "Yer not Jade"

"Oh really, Mr. Jones?" I said in mock surprise and wide eyes. I jumped off the box I was sitting on and walked towards him "What gave me away? My voice? My appearance?" I asked to which he didn't answer

The brown rat came behind me. "What did they say, miss?" he asked

"They should be on there way and they'll be meeting you, stand guard" I commanded and he walked out. One of the snakes slithered its way up to me.

"Rebecca, how much longer must we wait?" he said, eyeing the vigilante

"Until the main course arrives" I said, walking towards the back "It shouldn't be long"

"I'm not sssure I can wait much longer" he said impatiently, looking towards Casey.

"Patience! That's an order!" I spat. The others slowly backed away out of my path. I picked up an old rusty knife I found on the ground. The snake slithered around my leg and up my shoulder.

"I don't remember any of usss agreeing for you to be in charge, Rebecca. I for one, refuse to be commanded. You have no right or reason to be ordering usss around" he said and the others seemed to agree silently because they were muttering and nodding to one another.

I grabbed the snake from behind my shoulder. My hand was around where his throat would be. "Reason? You want a reason, worm?! How's this for a reason, _I_ am stronger. _I_ am smarter. _I_ am the only one in a human body, so that makes me your superior!" I snapped "And I destroy those who defy my authority!" I said, running the rusty blade through his neck. Strangely, the snake's figure went in smoke and was now sand in front of my feet. _What in the world?_

Several pairs of eyes widened including Casey Jones's. It seemed Bishop's experiment wasn't as successful as he intended for it to be. _Pathetic, really_ I thought. The others began to murmur about what just happened. I grinned at the pile of sand in front of my feet. I felt more powerful. I turned to the others with the knife still in my hands.

"Would anyone else like to speak their mind?" I asked

None answered.

"Good. Let that be a lesson for all of you!" I snapped, Mr. Jones's cellular device began to ring again. I grinned once more. "Casey Jones Hotline, how may I help you?" I said sweetly, sharpening my talon-like nails against the wall.

"We're by the docks" Leonardo said into the phone "We want to speak with Casey"

I examined my nails and looked over at the vigilante. "Let's not forget who is in charge here, understood?" I said

"Well we need ta make sure he's still okay. Is that understood?" Raphael said back

"Very well" I said with a smirk in my voice and pointed my chin towards Casey. The white rat pulled back his hair causing him to yelp.

"Hey! Watch it!" he yelled

"Now that's as close as you'll get to hearing him" I said, at that moment the brown rat came walking in with the two. I shut the phone. "Ah, right on schedule" I said, walking behind Casey Jones.

The other two rats were down on all four and crouched in front of the two turtles. The rusty knife was at my side. Raphael and Leonardo were both standing still in a fighting stance.

"Surrender your weapons" I told them simply

"Like shell" Raphael said, taking out both his sais

The two rats tensed and backed away a few feet as the turtles advanced forward. I, however, saw this coming. I took my knife and pressed it to the edge of Casey Jones's throat. They stopped advancing.

"I don't think you heard me correctly. I said surrender your weapons" I told them. When they hesitated, I pressed the blade harder against his neck.

"C'mon Jade, we know you're in there" Raphael said as he set down his sais and Leonardo, his swords.

I rolled my eyes. "Jade is long gone. That horrible cure hadn't done anything" I said, as the rats took their weapons and retrieved them to me.

~Turtles~

"Bind their hands" Rebecca commanded.

Two snakes crawled around them. Raph growled as he eyed Jade or…Rebecca. Her skin was chalky white with sharp claws and glowing red eyes. They knew behind her smirk were two rows of very sharp teeth. The two rats moved behind them and nudged them forward.

"You and your brothers are pathetic. You actually thought I was Jade and believed every lie and truth I told you" she said "The best part? You didn't suspect a thing"

Raph looked around at the snakes and rats around them. "So these are yer friends huh? Gotta say Rebecca, I'm disappointed. I was hopin' for a little more challenge"

She smirked. "You won't be joking for long" Rebecca said

There was a loud knock on the door. Rebecca's head was the first to turn in that direction. She glared back at them.

"I thought I told you to come alone" she snapped "Do you know what happens when people defy me?" she said, pulling back Casey's hair and pressing the blade to the front of his neck.

"Whoa, wait a minute! We did come alone" Leo said

Rebecca eyed both of them and turned to the green lizard that was next to her.

"Investigate" she told him. He nodded once and scurried out the door. "You better hope he comes back in one piece or else"

The lizard never returned. She glared back at the two turtles. "Very well then. My friends, dinner is served" she said and walked towards the door with both of their weapons.

They all eyed the turtles hungrily and advanced towards them as they stepped backwards. Rebecca walked outside, closing the door behind her. It was quiet. She smirked as she spun around and moved to the right as a bow staff came towards her head. She smiled, baring all her teeth.

"Uh-oh" Donny said

She moved the bow staff in one circular motion and jerked it out of his hand. She flipped as Mikey came at her from behind and kicked off his shell so he fell on top of Donny. Rebecca laughed.

"What kind of fool do you take me for? Did you really think just because I asked those two to come alone, I thought they would do it?" she asked "Ninjas, yes. Clever? Not so much"

Mikey jumped up and came at her with the nun chucks. She threw aside the bow staff and blocked the nun chucks with Raphael's sais that she was holding. She jumped on her hands, wrapped her feet around Mikey's waist and shifted all of her weight to the side. She picked up one of the katana and held it above his head.

"No!" Raphael shouted, lunging towards her. He pinned her shoulders down on the ground. "Now Donny!"

Don ran to her side and injected a syringe of the red liquid in her arm. Rebecca placed her feet against Raph's plastron and pushed him over her, then spun to kick the purple bandanna turtle. She took the syringe out of her arm and broke it in two. She chuckled.

"I guess Jade is more useful than I thought she would be" Rebecca said, as she caught a shuriken that was thrown at her. Her "friends" came out of the boathouse. "You imbeciles! Get them!"

They all attacked the four turtles as Rebecca walked back inside to Casey.

"I'll finish you myself" she said, raising her claw. Casey turned his head away, but then something happened. Rebecca's throat buckled. She couldn't breathe. Both of her hands flew to her neck as she tried to get some oxygen. What was happening?_ What had been in that syringe?_ Her eyes watered and she fell to her knees.

Leonardo came back inside to see the unconscious figure in front of Casey.

"It worked" he said as he ran to Casey and sliced off his bindings.

"Thanks Leo, I owe ya" he said, rubbing his wrists. "Now let's put dis thing outta business for good" he added, walking towards the limp figure in front of him.

"No Casey!" Leo said "It's still Jade, just not "Jade" Jade"

Casey looked at him, confused.

"Look, I'll explain later. Right now, we got bigger problems" he said, turning back to the animals that had followed inside. A lizard scurried towards him and Leo swung his katana against its neck. There was a puff of smoke and now sand in front of him. "Huh? Guys! Aim for their head!" he called to his brothers

"Why?" Mikey shouted

"Trust me!" he said, as he swiped both his swords at the brown rat.

Raphael jumped at the white rat from behind and stabbed his sais through it's head. His sais hit the concrete and was surrounded by sand. Mikey and Don were having a hard time fighting one of the two snakes. The snake wrapped it's tail around the two and squeezed. Raph and Leo attacked at the same time and the purple and orange bandanna turtles fell on the ground with a _thud_.

"Well, that was unpleasant" Mikey said

"Wait, that was only one snake. Where's the other?" Leo said

The five of them looked around their surroundings, but there wasn't anything.

"Never mind" Don said "Let's get Jade and get out of—"

There was a low hissing noise. The five of them stood back to back. Casey had an oar in his hand that he had found. The hissing was coming from all directions. Leo felt something quick wrap around him and found himself staring at the ceiling. He swung the katana to the side, but the snake caught it between his teeth and threw it aside. Mikey ran towards it, but it used its tail to trip him. The snake whipped its tail, causing Raph, Don and Casey to fly against several crates. The snake wrapped itself around Mikey and forced him against the ground, ready to strike with its teeth. Mikey screamed and covered his head, but there was only a _poof_. He peeked through his arms and found the tip of Leo's sword pointing above his chest, but it wasn't Leo who was standing over him. She breathed heavily.

"What'd I miss?" Jade asked

**End of Chapter 25.**

**YAYYY! Jade is backkkk! Please review! Chapter 26 in progress!**


	26. A Dark Past

**WARNING! SLIGHTLY DARK CHAPTER!**

**Long chapter, hope you guys like it! Thanks to imaginationanimation, FearlessDragoness, FanO'theNinja121, Guest, Cora, and Guess. Nothing much to say, so here's Chapter 26.**

**Enjoyy!**

~Jade~

"Jade?" Mikey said uncertainly as he stood up

I dropped the sword from my hand and leaned against one of the crates. "Who else?" I asked breathlessly

I felt like I ran across the country. I was dizzy and felt sick. A hundred questions went through my head. Where was I? What was going on? Why was there sand all over the place? What day was it? Mikey stood up and stowed his nun chucks in his belt. The five of them cautiously stood in front of me and stared as if I had just dropped from the sky.

"Jade?" Don asked cautiously

"Glad you know my name, Don" I said sarcastically, trying not to talk so much. Every time I opened my mouth I felt like I was going to be sick. I turned my attention to Casey. He had a bite mark on his neck and several bruises. "What the hell happened to you?" I asked

"You" he answered "You attacked me!" he said, unnecessarily pointing at his neck

I stared at him, confused. _I attacked him? _Don examined Casey's bite mark.

"We'll fill you in, but right now I have to fix that bite" he said

Don patched the wound on Casey's neck while Raph filled me in on everything that happened. I didn't remember anything he told me. I apologized to Casey several times for whatever happened. I asked Raph if I had killed anyone else and he replied no. I breathed a sigh of relief. Seemed like every movement I made, my dinner was threatening to come up. My hair was a mess and I felt cold. When Donny was done fixing up Casey, they agreed to go home. I stood up from where I was sitting and immediately grabbed the wall to support me as my head started to spin. I felt a small nudge on the back of my leg.

"Donny. Donny, it's okay, I don't need to be carried. I'm just a little dizzy, I'll get over it" I said, as I took a small step forward and felt like I was going to be sick again. "I'm just gonna ask one question. What was in that cure?" I asked sickly

"Trust me, you're better off not knowing" he replied, taking one of my arms and putting it around his neck so I could lean on him.

I eventually climbed inside the Battle Shell and sat quietly in the backseat. I breathed slowly through my nose. They had an extra blanket in the truck and handed it to me and I draped it over my shoulders. They dropped off Casey at his house and drove back to the lair.

"Think I'll bake Casey a cake to make it up to him" I muttered

Mikey looked over his shoulder at me with a raised eyebrow. "Uh…you know…you attacked me too" he said, and earned himself a smack by Raph. "Ow! What?" he said

I managed a weak laugh. "Alright Mikey, I'll bake you one too"

I didn't say anything the rest of the way. I would've preferred it if they dropped me off at my place, right now I didn't want anything more than a nice long sleep. I didn't object though. I'll let Don do a test or two then I'll go home. Two green feet appeared in front of me. I looked up to see Raph dangling my gold locket on his finger.

"Oh, thanks" I said, taking it off his finger and clipping it behind my neck.

Raph seated himself in the seat across from me. I noticed him looking over at me.

"What?" I asked

"Jade, what's the last thing ya remember?" he asked "Ya know, before ya woke up in that boathouse"

I didn't answer immediately. I thought back to the last I remembered before Rebecca took control. I thought hard before the answer came to me.

"I was talking to Splinter. He was telling me the story about his Master Yoshi and then I woke up in that boathouse. Why?" I asked. Don, who was driving, looked back at me in his mirror. Leo looked at me out of the corner of his eye. Mikey avoided looking at me completely. Now I was suspicious. "Okay guys, what's going on? Did Rebecca tell you something?"

None of them answered, except Raph. "Ya don't remember anythin' after that?" he asked

"No" I replied "Seriously, what happened?" I asked,

None of them spoke up. I noticed Raph and Mikey share a mutual look, but it was Donny who finally spoke up.

"Rebecca told us some things" Donny said shortly

"What 'things'?" I asked cautiously

I saw Donny open his mouth, but Leo stopped him. "We'll explain once we get back to the lair" Leo told me

"Just tell me right now" I said stubbornly "What did she tell you?"

He didn't answer back which made me frustrated. Don pulled the Battle Shell into the warehouse and we all piled out. I still kept the blanket around my shoulders and followed them into the chamber. _What were they hiding from me?_ I thought as the chamber door opened. Splinter came out of the kitchen and greeted his sons. They filled him in on everything as I sat down on the couch. Don grabbed a thermos from his lab table and poured some kind of bright red liquid in a glass for me. It tasted like Pepto. Yuck. I took small fast sips so I wouldn't have to taste it. Master Splinter came and sat down next to me and the turtles sat in front facing towards me.

"_Now_ are you going to tell me?" I asked

The four looked from one another as if debating on who should tell me what happened in the time after I talked to Master Splinter and before I woke up in that boathouse. Not surprisingly, Don was the one to speak up.

"Uh…Jade. Like we told you before, Rebecca said a lot of things…"

I rolled my eyes. "I think we've established that about three times already" I said coolly, taking anther quick sip

Raph chuckled. "Oh yeah, you're definitely Jade" he said

"Anyway, she told us stuff about your past" Don told me.

I jerked my head up and my eyes widened. I put the glass down on the coffee table. "I'm sorry, _what_?" I said. I couldn't have heard right.

"Your past" Leo repeated

Okay, if Rebecca was physically real right now, I would strangle her. I twisted my locket around in my fingers as Leo continued.

"But Rebecca said to me and Raph that we believed the truth and lies. So, she might've been lying to us, but there might be a little truth in it" he guessed

"Oh, that makes total sense!" Mikey chimed in and looked back at me "So that means that the little boy in your locket _is_ your brother! Rebecca told us that he was your son, but there's no way that's true, right Jade?"

I felt the color drain from my face and my mouth gaped slightly "She told you about my son?!" I blurted out, and grabbed my locket in my hand

They all blinked and were quiet. No doubt, Rebecca told them. Splinter looked from me to his sons. He looked confused.

"Oh no," I said as I pressed a hand to my temple and the blanket slipped off my shoulders as I stood up "No, no, no!" I groaned, and walked to the side of the couch, facing away from them. _She told them?!_ I tried not to get myself worked up; there was no point for me to get worked up towards Rebecca. She was gone.

"Uh…I guess that was the true part" Mikey said uneasily

"You guys weren't supposed to know any of that" I said. I didn't face them, especially Master Splinter. I had high respect for him and now he was most likely mentally judging me. Great, this was exactly what I was trying to avoid. Now all of them knew.

"Look, if we had known it was Rebecca and not you, we—"

"You should've" I said sharply, interrupting Leo. "You should've known it wasn't me. I _told_ you that my life was none of your business and you guys went and asked anyway. That should've been your first clue that it was Rebecca and not me"

"Technically, you didn't tell us that directly" Mikey pointed out

"Can it, Mikey" I snapped, sitting down on the arm of the couch with both of my fists underneath my chin. I didn't mean to snap at him. I was just really frustrated. They knew my biggest secret. The one secret I had sworn to take to my grave and now they all knew. I guess there was no point in hiding it from them anymore.

"It's not like we would tell anyone, Jade" Don told me "It wouldn't be our place to. Why wouldn't you tell us any of this before?"

"Because I hate pity!" I said immediately. Pity was the one thing I hated above all. I didn't want it and I didn't need it. "I hate it. When people know or hear about my past they give me pity and then treat me differently because of it"

"Treat you differently, how?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Never mind" I said "What else did she tell you about JJ?"

They gave me another confused look. "JJ? Is that his name?" Mikey asked

I held open the locket and so they could see his picture. "Jeremy Joseph Gallagher" I explained "JJ or Joey for short"

"That's cute" Mikey commented. I returned a smile.

Raph leaned back on the other sofa with his arms crossed. "So ya were a rebellious teenager who had a boyfriend who couldn' keep it in his pants and he knocked ya up"

I shot him a glare. Of course he had to say it like _that_ right in front of Splinter. I looked out of the corner of my eye at him to see how he was reacting to everything. He was calm and at the same time was listening intently.

"It's not like we meant for it to happen" I said defensively and sighed before looking back at all of them. It wasn't exactly easy to talk about. I started again, slowly. "I…I found out I was pregnant when I was fifteen. It was unintentional, _obviously_. But JJ's the best thing that's ever happened to me" They all seemed surprised by the last thing I said. I don't know why though. It was true. I loved him more than anything. I might've regretted a few things, but JJ was not one of them. I loved my son.

"So what else did she tell you?" I asked, taking the cup off the coffee table.

"Well, she also said that your son was given away when he was born in the hospital. Is that true?" Don asked

"She said hospital?"

"No, but I'm assuming he was born in a hospital, right?" he guessed

I swallowed the red liquid as the bitter taste formed in my mouth. I shook my head. "Bedroom" I corrected "My son was born in my bedroom and then given to strangers"

His eyes widened. "Bedroom?" he asked in disbelief "Without the proper medical equipment? That's not safe"

I rolled my eyes. "He cared more about his reputation than he did about my health" I said darkly. By 'he', I meant Kelsey's father. I guess they knew that. "A lot of people knew who my father was. He didn't want to take any chances. After my son was given away, they told me to pack my bags and disowned me. He didn't want Kelsey to hate him, so to save his skin he told her I ran away"

"Then Shredder found ya when ya were stealin' somethin' and told ya you could be useful to him" Raph stated

"Sounds like Rebecca wasn't lying to you completely" I said, drinking whatever was left in the cup and putting it back on the table. "My then-boyfriend and I had a somewhat complicated relationship"

"Because of your father" Leo guessed

"Yes" I answered "It's the farthest thing from your typical romance. I don't want to go into detail about it. What was so important that made Rebecca spew things about my life?" I added

"This" Leo said, holding up a sword and a thick book.

My eyes widened. I remembered him first handing it to Master Splinter. That sword was so familiar, it was almost chilling. He placed both things on the table and I ran my fingertips over the leather sheath. The hilt was cold and blade looked exactly the same as I remembered.

"I know this sword" I said almost quietly "Shredder taught me how to fight with it when he was training me in ninjitsu" I explained. I wanted to forget this sword. I wanted to get rid of every memory I had of Oroku Saki.

Don opened the book to where he had apparently bookmarked. "We also found this. Do you know what these symbols mean?"

I read the short passage then looked over at the symbols and shook my head. The symbols didn't make sense to me, but they obviously told a story.

"Uh, maybe you could tell us what happened? Just so we know the true parts" Mikey said

I shrugged. There was no point in hiding it when they most likely know most of it already "I already told you my son was given away to strangers. When I was pregnant with him, it was kept secret. I pretty much hid in my room most of the time, the only time I came out was when Kelsey wasn't around" I said as I wrapped the blanket around myself. "I was a homeless teenager for a while when Shredder found me"

"Yeah, Rebecca told us that" Raph said

"She also said you, well, she worked for the Shredder as in like a Foot ninja. I mean "she" as in you, but you weren't really you so that would mean her as you. Wait…"

"Calm down Mikey, I know what you mean. Don't give yourself a headache" I said "I did work for the Shredder, but not in the same way you guys probably think"

"What'd ya mean?" Raph asked

"Let's just say, he saw me as something a bit more useful than another Foot soldier. He wasn't training me to become one. He was training me to help him, destroy his enemies. But I didn't know that. In a way, I was sort of in charge of his Foot soldiers. If he needed something done, I was the one to draw out the plan and initiate it" I remembered scolding his Foot ninjas if they did something wrong. I had the lovely pleasure of working closely with Hun. I was like another one of Saki's henchmen/woman, next to Hun of course.

Leo leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "You didn't notice anything off about him?" he asked suspiciously

I shook my head. "Not immediately. When he first invited me with him, I was surprised. I kind of figured he had an ulterior motive, that's why I told him I was an orphan and living on the streets most of my life"

"And he bought _that_?" Mikey asked in disbelief.

"What do you expect to hear from a homeless teenager, Mikey?" I asked "How many times would you expect a teen mom who was disowned by her family"

"Uh, I guess not many" he replied

I nodded "Shredder made me work closely with him. He constantly spied on people he thought were working for his enemies. Once he saw an opportunity, he would force his Foot ninjas to bring them to him and then he would also ask me to get any information I could get out of them. He wouldn't tell me why, he just wanted me to. It wasn't until then I realized what a psychopath he really was"

"Did you get any information that he was looking for?" Don asked

"No. And I never tried to. I thought maybe if I convinced him that they didn't have any information, he would them go" I explained then sighed "I was wrong. He didn't. He just killed them, most of them I saw him kill"

"Would they look at you? As if they were asking you to help them" Don asked

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. How did you know?" I asked

"Rebecca told us" he answered

"That wasn't the worst part. Some of them would actually ask me to help them. When Shredder would lock them up and ask me to get information out of them, I would only talk to them. They knew I didn't belong there with his Foot ninjas"

"Were you afraid of him?" Mikey asked

I thought for a moment about how to answer. "No" I answered "Not exactly. I knew what I was doing was wrong. I just didn't know how to get out of it"

"Rebecca said it took time before ya got enough courage ta bolt" Raph said

I chuckled. I knew the difference between right and wrong. I didn't have to gather all my courage before I decided to run. I just ran. "That was obviously a lie. I didn't have to collect my guts to make me run. I would've gotten out of it sooner if I could" I told him "Before I ran I helped this one woman escape"

"What made you help this woman?" Splinter asked calmly

I was surprised to hear him talk. He had been so quiet; I had almost forgotten he was sitting right next to me. I couldn't help but wonder if he was judging me by everything I said. I've always been surrounded by judging people. It wouldn't surprise me if he was judging me too. I bowed my head slightly before answering.

"When Saki asked me to get information out of her, I only talked to her. She began telling me about her daughter. She told me she was around my age and I looked like her. I guess she sort of reminded me that all the people Shredder had killed had family too. I managed to help her escape then we both ran. I went into hiding. I hadn't seen his Foot ninjas in weeks so I thought I was safe"

"Then you found your son" Don stated

I raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I don't think Rebecca was telling you many lies"

"Wait, but did you ever find out what Shredder wanted from this woman?" Leo asked

"He thought she knew something about his enemies, but after we escaped he didn't care about her anymore. He was after me. He wanted my head on a platter, but like I said, I let my guard down and thought I was safe"

"So that's all ya did? Ya just ran?" Raph asked

"There wasn't much I could do" I said defensively "Hiding under a rock was better than going up against a man I knew I didn't stand a chance against"

"He taught ya ta fight" he pointed out

"He knew years of ninjitsu. I only knew five months of it at the time. The odds weren't exactly in my favor" I said "After I had found my son; my then-boyfriend helped me take care of him. For a while anyway"

"That was around the time Shredder found out about your son right?" Don said it more as a statement

I tightened my fists and rested them on my knees. I wish he didn't ask that question. Every emotion I was feeling right now I wish I could throw away. I don't know why I continued, but I did. "It was more than that" I answered quietly "He found out I had been lying to him from the start. He knew about my family. My then-boyfriend and I ran with my son to the only safe place I knew" I explained

"Was it a small island not far from the Florida coast and surprisingly invisible to the tourist eye?" Mikey guessed with a grin

I leaned back on the couch. Rebecca had told them too much. I nodded. "I stayed there until I came to New York"

"And Kelsey has no idea about anything you just told us" Don said

"No, and I want to keep it that way" I added seriously. Kelsey couldn't know anything I just told all of them. It was too dangerous. I wasn't going to risk it. More importantly, I didn't want her choosing sides between me and her father, no matter how badly I wanted her to know the truth.

"Wait a minute, did Shredder stop looking for you or something?" Mikey asked,

I shrugged. "Something like that" I said shortly

Raph leaned forward. "Hold on a sec. I don't think Shredder just gave up and thought you were dead. Yer not sayin' somethin'"

His brothers seemed to silently agree because they went from looking to one another to me. Leo spoke up first. "Jade, what happened after you got on that island?" he asked suspiciously

I looked towards the clock. "It's late" I said "I should get going"

"Jade, I don't think you're in any condition to move right now" Don said in a very doctor-like way

"You'd be surprised by what I'm capable of" I said

"Of course you are more than welcome to spend the night here, Miss. Gallagher" Splinter said

I looked over at him. "That's very kind of you, sensei, but I really don't want to intrude"

The four turtles stood up from where they were sitting. Don rubbed his chin. "After everything that's happened tonight, I think it's probably better if you spend the night here, just in case. I'll run another test or two"

I really didn't feel like arguing. I was too tired. "Okay, fine, but if it turns out that I'm not okay and Rebecca comes to rip your heads off, don't come whining to me" I said

However, after a few tests, Don told me that the cure had been a slow process but I was back to normal. I breathed a sigh of relief. Mikey seemed pretty happy that I was spending the night. He pulled out a box of his most prized DVDs and began searching through it, pulling out various horror genres.

"So what kind of horror movies do you like? I got Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine, Nightmare on Elm Street, and a bunch of monster movies" he said

"Michelangelo" Splinter said "I believe Miss. Gallagher has had a particularly long and exhausting night. Perhaps you can assist your brother in preparing the guest room for her" he said

Mikey have me a small shrug and ran to help Leo with the hammock. Splinter walked towards the kitchen at the same time Raph was coming out with a cup of tea and handed it to me.

"Thanks" I said as I held the warm cup in my hand. It was peach tea. I was sure it probably tasted as good as it smelled. I just held it in my hand though. Raph noticed and sat down next to me.

"Yer quiet" he said simply.

I pursed my lips in a tight lip before I answered. "I killed someone, Raph" I said, to which Raph just rolled his eyes

"Give yourself a break, ya didn' kill anyone. Not really" he said

I took a small sip of the tea. "Actually, I did, really" I replied back "Just because Rebecca was the one who did it doesn't mean it wasn't my fault, especially when I could've done something about it" I pointed out to which Raph just rolled his eyes again.

"He was a Purple Dragon. They're always goin' 'round causin' trouble" he said

I glanced over at him. "So just because he was a Purple Dragon that makes it okay?" I asked rhetorically

He raised an eyebrow. "Are ya defendin' him? He tried ta rape ya"

"Yeah, I know" I said in a matter-of-fact voice. _Like I could forget something like that _I thought to myself "Thanks to you, he didn't, but that's not what I'm trying to get at here. I killed someone. Murder not self-defense" I pointed out

He stood up. "Sounds ta me like yer still a little lightheaded" he said, as he began to walk away

"And on a different note, I was not a rebellious teenager" I said "I might've bended a few rules, but I wasn't 'rebellious' as you put it"

Raph chuckled and faced me again. "Well ya weren't exactly a goodie-two shoe either"

"Hey, if you had rules that were long enough to reach the Empire State Building, you would be 'rebellious' too" I said, making air quotes "You make it sound like I shaved half my hair and joined a cult"

Raph leaned over the back of the couch next to me. "Can't say I blame yer dad for hatin' yer boyfriend, though"

"Kelsey's father" I corrected, tucking my feet behind me.

"Okay…" he started "Can't say I blame Kelsey's father for hatin' yer boyfriend. How'd ya expect him ta react?"

I glanced up at him. They knew nothing. "He beat him" I said slowly

Raph blinked. They didn't have a clue about how screwed-up my relationship with my then-boyfriend had gotten when I first started dating him. He wasn't a bad guy either. He was smart, caring, sweet... he was a lot of things. "Father" only hated him on because he wanted to hate him. Mother, however really liked him. She tried to convince "father" to like him too, but when "father" made a decision you couldn't change his mind about it.

"Never in my life had I ever seen him so out of control and angry. He was lucky my ex didn't press charges" I said. I guess I inherited my anger issues from him, but at least I've never been out of control like him. "I don't want to talk about this anymore" I said, ending the discussion. I already told them too much.

"Whateva happened ta this ex of yers?" he asked.

I looked up again and gave him a _what-did-I-just-say_ look. I don't think he actually cared. He knew there was something I wasn't saying. I think all the turtles did. He held his hands up as if he was surrendering.

"Alrigh', alrigh'" he said as he began to walk away.

"And I _wasn't_ rebellious" I added

"Sure, Jade. Whateva" he called

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the arm of the couch. The cup of peach tea was still warm in my hand. I looked at the picture of my son in my locket. His brown hair was in small wisps and I smiled as I looked at his two tiny front teeth. I missed him. I sat up and held the cup in front of my face. The warm steam wafted up my nose. I absentmindedly traced my finger around the rim of the cup. My mind drifted to the short time I spent with Saki. I underestimated him and it cost me. I remembered the victims he's killed. I stood by and did nothing. I would always remember that. Then I ran. I had put the people I love in danger, especially my son. I hadn't told the turtles everything. It was too personal. It had to do with a lot more than trust this time. I saw Splinter walk towards me and sit down in Raph's place on the couch.

"Something is troubling you, child?" he asked

I looked down at the peach tea in my hand. "I guess I'm just more of a coffee person" I said, putting the cup of tea on the table and wrapping the blanket tightly around my shoulders.

Splinter chuckled. "You know I do not mean the tea, Jade. Is there something on your mind?" he asked and I didn't answer "I know there is more to your story than which you are telling"

"I can't say" I said quietly. Like I said, it had to do with a lot more than trust this time. Very few people knew and they were the people that had been there.

"I do not judge you by your actions, Miss. Gallagher" he said

I raised my head and looked at him. Did he just say what I think he said?

"You are not 'rebellious' as my son put it" he said "Though, few of your actions were irresponsible; you took the risk of accepting the responsibilities of taking care of a child. That alone amazes me since you too are very young"

"You give me too much credit, sensei" I said rather quietly.

Splinter sighed "Jade, it is obvious something is bothering you greatly. You may place your trust in me"

I looked over at him. "Trust is a strong word" I said

He chuckled. "Very well then, you may confide in me" he said, correcting himself.

I didn't know. Should I tell him? Was it the right thing to do if I told Master Splinter and not his sons? The bigger question was, was I ready to tell? I hesitated. Splinter nodded and stood up. "When you are ready" he said and began to walk towards his room.

I pursed my lips and made a quick decision. "Wait" I said and looked over at him and he waited for me to finish. "I'll tell you" I said

He calmly walked back to the couch and sat next to me. I looked around to make sure the turtles weren't around to eavesdrop.

"Master Splinter, I can tell you, but I don't think I'm ready for them to know" I said "You can't tell them or anyone"

"It would not be my place to" he replied "You may tell them yourself when you are ready"

"And also, can you promise me something?" I asked "Can you promise me that after what I tell you, you won't treat me differently?"

He raised an eyebrow, confused.

"What I mean by that is, you won't treat me with more kindness than you normally would to someone else. I'm not looking for pity, sensei. I don't like pity"

"You have my word" he said

I took a deep breath before I started.

~Leonardo~

I tossed a pillow on top of the hammock as Mikey gathered everything else out of the room. We've never had a guest before so we just used the extra room as a storage room. Took us a while, but we eventually got everything cleaned up. The sword Oroku Saki had given me was in my room. Now I wanted nothing more than to get rid of it. I couldn't believe I fell for everything he told me! I felt like such an idiot. I checked the last end of the hammock to make sure it was stable before heading out of the room. I jumped down from the second level to find Jade talking quietly to Master Splinter. I decided not to interrupt and walked towards the kitchen where Raph was sitting at the table with his feet propped up on it.

"Thinkin' 'bout somethin', Fearless?" Raph asked

"Jade's talking to Splinter, you wouldn't happen to know why?" I asked

Raph shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. But I was talkin' ta her five minutes ago ta see if she'd spill what she's hidin'. I'll tell ya this; she's got her lips sealed tighter than glue"

I rubbed my chin. "You wouldn't think she's probably telling Master Splinter?" I said

"What'd she tell Master Splinter and not us?" Raph pointed out.

I glanced over my shoulder to look at Splinter and Jade. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see their facial expressions. Master Splinter looked sullen and Jade's seemed to be talking slowly. My curiosity grew. Splinter suddenly stood up and said something to which she nodded. He began to walk in this direction; I walked out of the kitchen and approached him.

"Leonardo, have you and Michelangelo prepared the room for Miss. Gallagher?" he asked

"Yes, Master Splinter" I answered "Is everything alright, sensei?"

He sighed sadly. "I would advise you not to ask Miss. Gallagher further questions. She is quite tired" was all he said and walked towards his dojo, leaving me with more questions.

Raphael and I walked to the entertainment area to tell her bed was ready, but she was already fast asleep on the couch with the blanket pulled under her arm. Raph chuckled.

"Can't say I blame 'er" he said

I shrugged. He was right. The couch was a lot more comfortable than the hammocks, but we weren't complaining. We decided not to disturb her and headed towards our separate rooms. Mikey's light in his bedroom was still on. He was probably reading his comic books.

O-0-o

Hours passed, but I couldn't sleep. Shredder's sword was leaning against the wall in one corner of my room. I stared at the cracks in the ceiling with my hands behind my head. _That's it_ I thought as I sat up. I was going to get rid of that sword and I was going to get rid of it right now. I strapped my twin katana behind my shell and grabbed the sword before heading out of my room. The dojo was dimly lit so it wouldn't be too dark. I lightly landed on my feet as I jumped down to the first level and quietly shuffled to the chamber. Saki wanted an answer? I'll give him my answer.

"Bit early for morning trainin' ain't it?" Raph said.

I hadn't seen him leaning against the pillar. I clutched the sword tightly in my hand. "I'm going to find Shredder, Raph. Don't try to stop me"

"Calm down Fearless. None of us are tryna stop ya. We're goin' with ya"

"Us?" I asked, confused

"Duh" I heard Mikey say behind me

I turned around to see Mikey and Don walking towards us. "You don't think we'd let you go do this alone" Don stated

I smiled at my brothers and nodded before the four of us walked towards the chamber. We stopped dead in our tracks when we sensed someone else watching us. I turned around to our master watching us sternly. As if he knew we would stop.

"Going somewhere my sons?" Splinter asked

"Yes, Master Splinter. I realize Oroku Saki said to come tomorrow night with my answer, but I'm going right now. I have to do this"

My master approached us. "My sons, you must not face the Shredder. It is dangerous"

"That would be a really stupid thing to do, Leo" I heard Jade's voice say from my right.

~Jade~

Talking to Master Splinter didn't exactly make the weight on my shoulders any lighter. I don't think it ever would. Though, I was glad my secret was safe with him. I rested my head on the yellow cushion and immediately drifted into sleep. I was exhausted. However, when I closed my eyes I had images of everything I had told Master Splinter and the turtles. Blood, fire, screams, and that man that pleaded for my help. He was no imagination. He was real and had been one of Saki's victims. He was one of the many that pleaded for my help while I stood by and did nothing.

I opened my eyes once again when I heard noise coming from the other side of the dojo. I glanced at the clock that was next to the TV. Three hours had gone by.

"Calm down Fearless. None of us are tryna stop ya. We're goin' with ya" that was Raph's voice

"Us?" that was Leo

"Duh" Mikey.

"You don't think we'd let you go do this alone" Don.

What were they talking about? I quietly sat up and watched as they walked towards the chamber. Should I follow them? I hid behind a pillar and watched them go when they stopped. Splinter was standing right outside his room.

"Going somewhere my sons?" Splinter asked

Judging by his tone, it sounded like he knew exactly what they were doing. I think I did now too. They wouldn't. Would they? Apparently they didn't know enough about the Shredder to realize what they were getting into. They had no idea how he was. Should I tell them?

"Yes, Master Splinter. I realize Oroku Saki said to come tomorrow night with my answer, but I'm going right now. I have to do this" Leo told him

My theory was proven correct. He was out of his mind! I didn't know if that was his ego talking or him. Refusing the Shredder is the worst thing he could do. I had to tell them. Whether or not I was ready, I had too. I stepped away from the pillar.

"That would be a really stupid thing to do, Leo" I said coolly.

They looked in my direction, obviously surprised to see me awake.

"Jade, we didn't mean to wake you" Mikey said

"Don't worry Mikey, you didn't" I answered as I walked towards them. "You have no idea what kind of deep shit you're getting yourselves into" I said, almost quietly.

"You and Master Splinter have told me enough to show me what kind of person he is. This is something I have to do" Leo said

He was stepping in very deep hot water. This was a really stupid decision he was making. I agreed with Master Splinter one hundred percent. I sighed. "You better hear the rest of what I have to say" I started

Master Splinter seemed to realize what I meant because he had put a hand on my shoulder. "Jade, if you are not ready to tell them, I must insist you shouldn't"

"It's alright sensei" I said to him before looking back at the four of them. "If Leonardo is so keen on refusing the Shredder, he should at least know what happens when he does. Failure and betrayal isn't something the Shredder takes lightly"

"Yeah, you told us you were forced to go into hiding because of him" Don said

I shook my head slowly. "There's more to the story" I replied

Leo looked form his Master Splinter to me then back. "I appreciate what you and sensei are trying to do, but Shredder needs to know I would never work for him" he said, as they began to walk towards the chamber again.

"Shredder did find me on that island" I said immediately which caused them to stop and glance at me.

"You said that Shredder—"

"I didn't tell you everything" I said, interrupting Mikey. I folded my arms across my chest. "It was too personal, but now you guys need to know everything I told Master Splinter. Kelsey told you about my mom, right?"

"Yeah, Kelsey told us she was killed by burglar—" Leo stopped when he saw me shake my head slowly.

The look on their faces told me they had come to a realization.

"Oh no…" Raph said quietly

"They weren't burglars were they?" Don said

I chuckled morbidly. "The police are so stupid sometimes. They don't know the difference between murder and a break in" I said dismally "I didn't just go to my parents for help. I went to warn them, but I was too late. I snuck in through the second story only to come downstairs to find my mother, my grandmother, and my grandfather all lying in a pool of their own blood"

I felt my throat go dry, but I didn't care. They were quiet, even Splinter. He already knew everything I was going to tell them. I let out a slow shaky breath before continuing. "But that wasn't enough for him" I said. For a moment, I wasn't sure if I should say more. I didn't want pity. I just wanted them to realize what kind of monster Oroku Saki was. My voice seemed to grow smaller with every word I said

"Shredder must've had someone keeping an eye on me because he found me on that island. He set my home over there on fire. Obviously, I wasn't in there…" I said slowly. The next part was the hardest for me to say, but I somehow managed it. I swallowed. "But my son was" I finished quietly.

The room was deadly quiet. I remembered it all as if it happened yesterday. I wanted to forget it all. Shredder had mistaken my son's babysitter for me and set the house on fire while both of them were inside. That was his goal. He wanted to make me suffer and then kill me. When the babysitter ran inside, he thought it was me. I had been training with my master when I saw the thick gray smoke in the sky. When I saw his babysitter running, I knew he was still inside. I ran towards it too. I tried to save him. Tried. People held me back, telling me it was too dangerous and that I would burn to death. I didn't care. I kicked and screamed at them to let me go. The one and only thing I wanted was to hold my boy in my arms. Little did I know I would never get that chance. I've never had a stronger urge for revenge since then.

Mikey spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. "Aw man, Jade…"

I help up my hand to stop him. "I hate pity" I reminded him "I didn't tell you guys this to feel sorry for me. I told you this because I want you guys to know what kind of man he is. He didn't hesitate to kill a kid he didn't know; he won't hesitate to kill you"

They looked from one another as if they were rethinking their decision.

"Don't underestimate him" I said "No matter what you guys try to do, he will get his revenge on your friends, your family, anyone you've ever loved and cared about. That's a fact"

Leo folded his arms across his chest. He didn't seem convince. "Your advice would be…?"

"Don't do anything" I advised "Don't answer his question. Don't approach him. Don't confront him. Forget you ever saw him"

"That's yer advice?" Raph asked "Ya want us ta jus' act like we fell off the face of the earth?"

"That's exactly what I want you to do" I said simply. They obviously didn't like that little bit of advice. "Look, I know how you guys feel, okay? I'm not the kind of person to sit around and do nothing either. Believe me; you don't want to go up against the Shredder"

Splinter took one step towards his sons. "I must say I agree with Jade. You must not face the Shredder yourselves"

They didn't answer, but it looked like they were reconsidering their decision. I hoped they weren't planning on doing anything stupid.

"And whatever I told you guys today, you have to swear you won't breathe a word about it to anyone. Not Case. Not April, and especially _not Kelsey_" I said seriously, putting extreme emphasis on the last two words.

They nodded or muttered "we swear" to me. All of them had gone back to their rooms and I decided to go home. Splinter told me goodnight before I left. My room was the same way I had left it. It was a comforting feeling. I laid myself on my bed and closed my eyes. I held my locket close to my chest and thought of JJ. I never sit around and wait for something to happen. Never. Oroku Saki was going to pay for what he did. That was a promise.

**End of Chapter 26.**

**Please review! 27 in progress. Next chapter… SHREDDER STRIKES PT2!**


	27. The Shredder Strikes Part 2

**Last week before spring break, so excited! Didn't want to keep you guys waiting so here's Shredder Strikes Pt2! Special thanks to imaginationanimation, Guest, FanOtheNinja121, Guest, Cora and FearlessDragoness for reviewing. Also, for my Guests, if it's not too much trouble I would absolutely love it if you guys came up with your own pen name? I like individualizing people :3 Anyways, here's chapter 27. Hope you guys like it and pleaseeee reviewwww!**

**Enjoy!**

~Jade~

I stretched my arms as I sat up. I felt great. I was glad I could look at myself in the mirror and knowing I didn't have to worry about red eyes, white skin, or sharp teeth anymore. I ran the brush through my hair and slipped into a pair of jeans and black tank top with a purple shirt on top of it that went off one shoulder, the sleeves stopped at my elbows. The sky outside was a light gray color. I stuck my hand out the window to feel light raindrops fall on my hand. My attire was probably not the warmest thing to wear on a drizzly day, but I didn't care. I loved the rain. I made myself cereal and put on my converse before heading to work. What was I going to say to Ryan? I walked out of my apartment building and let the raindrops land on my head. People held umbrellas over their heads and wore jackets while mine was draped over my arm. I walked inside the shop.

"Hey Ryan" I said as I entered. He was sitting at one of the tables in the far corner reading the newspaper. He folded one corner of the newspaper to look over at me.

"Glad to see you're feeling better" he said. I stopped. Better? He must've seen my confused look because he frowned. "Your flu?" he said

"I didn't…" I stopped myself and played along. This was probably the cover up for my absence. "Oh yeah, it was a nasty one, but the medication helped" I told him

"Mhm" he muttered "Just make sure you're not sneezin' all over the customers" he said as went back to reading his paper.

I flipped the "Closed" sign to "Open" before tying the apron around my waist. I saw Ryan shake his head disappointingly as he flipped to the next page of the newspaper. "Anything interesting?" I asked

"The police are doing a follow up on some gang member that was murdered" he said

I stopped. "Oh" I said. I hope he didn't notice my tone. "Well, what does it say? I mean, do the police have any leads or anything" I asked, trying to sound curious.

"Not yet" he said "Their autopsy report said he was either brutally murdered or attacked by some kind of animal. Got to be murder, we don't have any wild animals in New York. What're they thinkin'?"

I pretended to chuckle and walked into the kitchen. There weren't any dirty dishes so I placed the clean ones in their right place and grabbed a small notepad and pencil to write down breakfast orders. I tried not to let the newspaper bother me, but it seemed like one was at every table and everyone was silently talking about a murdered gang member. I wish they would all just flip to the crossword puzzles in the back. I stayed in the kitchen most of the time, even Whitney was talking about the murder.

I couldn't be happier when my shift was done. I had to go and train with Master Splinter later tonight, maybe I'd get my mind off of things. The rain had partially stopped. I went up to the third floor to Kelsey's apartment. She answered the first time I knocked.

"Jade? What're you doing here? Weren't you…" she asked

"I'm better" I answered. "It's a long boring story, trust me. I just dropped by to see how you were doing"

She nodded her head slowly. "I'm fine"

I pursed my lips. Well, this was slightly awkward. "Okay,well, I better get going. I have to go train with Master Splinter" I said, turning to leave but Kelsey grabbed my arm.

"Wait, I got someone here that might want to see you" she said

At first I thought that she meant her father and I was about to object. Then I heard the sound of small running feet as Kelsey tugged me through the door. A small girl with long brown hair tightly wrapped her arms around my legs almost causing me to fall backwards.

"Jadie! Jadie! Jadie!" she squealed

I blinked. "Is that Denise? No, you're not Denise" I said teasingly

She let go of my legs and climbed on top of the couch to stand on top of the arm of it. I always told her not to do that because she might hurt herself, but did she ever listen?

"But I am Denise!" the six year old objected

I tapped my chin. "Are you sure? Because if you were Denise, you would have a tickle spot right…here!" I said, gently tackling her down on the couch and tickling her around her stomach area. When I stood up again she grabbed my legs once more, refusing to let go. "Oh yeah, you're definitely Denise" I said and Kelsey laughed.

"I missed you Jadie! Where'd you go?" she asked looking up at me.

"Uh…" I looked over at Kelsey who shrugged. "I went to college, honey" I quickly fibbed

"What's a collange?" she asked curiously

"It's a fancy name for school" I said

"Yucky" she said "Your hair changed color!"

"Yeah, I know" I said, patting the top of my head "What're you doing here?" I asked

"Uncle Victor's at work" she explained

"Of course he is" I muttered before looking back at her. "I'd love to stay, honey, but I have to get going"

"No!" she shouted, clutching on my legs even tighter "Stay! Please don't go! Pleaseeee?" she begged, sticking out her bottom lip and making her brown eyes round and big.

Kelsey rolled her eyes. "She could be twenty and I still won't be able to resist her puppy dog eyes" she said

"Tell me about it" I agreed. "Okay, I'll stay, but on one condition" I said, kneeling down to her level. "You have to promise not to tell Uncle Victor I was here. He can't know, okay?"

"Like a surprise?" she asked excitedly

I nodded. "Yeah Denise, like a surprise. Promise?"

She nodded her head excitedly. "Promise!"

I hope Master Splinter didn't mind me skipping ninjitsu training for today. I hadn't seen Denise in so long, I couldn't say no to her. She dragged me to the kitchen and stood on top of the chair to show me her loose tooth. I wanted to take her to the park, but it was probably wet because of the rain and "Uncle Victor" knew Kelsey wouldn't do that. All three of us played hide-and-seek for about an hour, not surprisingly Denise won since she could fit in all the small places Kelsey and I had never thought of looking in. Hide and seek was her favorite game. Afterwards, Kelsey suggested on baking cookies which Denise obviously didn't object. It was almost like the old days when Kelsey and I both babysat Denise when she was much younger. She grabbed her favorite Scooby-Doo movie and put it into the DVD player. I braided her hair while we waited for the cookies to finish. Halfway through the movie Denise fell asleep on the couch. Kelsey and I sat on the bottom of the couch and leaned against it. The plate of cookies was on the table with only three left and several crumbs.

"Kinda like old times, huh?" I said, pulling a loose purple thread off my sleeve. "Anyway, I wanted say I'm sorry about yelling at you over that one picture. Rebecca was just working up my nerves"

She shrugged. "It's okay" she answered before sighing. "Seems like we're always apologizing" she added, taking a cookie from the plate.

"You're not the only one who thinks that" I agreed, pushing my little cousin's long brown hair away from her face. Both of her hands were resting against her cheek. I took the second cookie and nibbled on it.

"Jade…?"

"Yeah?"

Kelsey sighed. "When you were…sick. The turtles came here and told me that you spend most of you're time in that cave looking at a picture of our brother. The only problem is that we don't have a brother" she said "Why would they say something like that?"

I held the cookie between my lips. I hesitated and tried not to stall. What was I suppose to tell her? I couldn't tell my sister that I was a teen mom. Or…had been a teen mom. Then she'll ask me several questions after that and I knew exactly what subject that was heading towards. I tried to come up with something. I gave her a smile.

"You know what, I had this old baby picture of Tommy and I guess they just assumed he was my brother" I said, half laughing. It was fake of course.

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. It probably wasn't my best lie, but at least it wasn't far fetched. Tommy was our other cousin. He was older than both of us. He was probably nineteen or twenty by now. Denise and Tommy were the only two cousins we had. Well, Denise was biologically our cousin. Tommy was adopted several years ago by our Aunt Jenna. We were very close with him. Actually, he was well aware about my secret. About JJ, about his Uncle Victor disowning me, he knew everything.

"Why do you have a baby picture of Tommy?" she asked

"Kelsey, you know how Aunt Jenna is. Every time she has guests over, she pulls out that photo album with all Tommy's most embarrassing pictures in it" I said

Kelsey covered her face with her hand and laughed. "Don't remind me" she muffled between a laugh

"So Tommy asked me to take the pictures so Aunt Jenna couldn't show anyone" I lied.

"Okay, yeah, that sounds like him" Kelsey said.

I quietly breathed a sigh of relief before looking over at the clock. It was getting dark and almost time for me to go on patrol and Uncle Victor would be home soon to pick up Denise. I had to leave before he came. I stood up and brushed off my shirt. "Well, I better get going" I said

"Night patrol" she stated

"Yeah…" I said quietly. I grabbed the blanket that was lying on the other couch and draped it over my cousin. She stirred for a minute before pulling the blanket up to her chin. I leaned down and kissed her forehead before tiptoeing towards the door.

"You know how you were today" Kelsey started, causing me to turn around. "The way we were having fun today and the way you were smiling, and playing around with Denise? That's the Jade I remember" she said

I didn't know how to respond. How did she expect me to respond? I knew one thing; the way Kelsey, Denise and I were playing around was almost like old times when we were younger. It had definitely been uplifting.

"Things change" I told her quietly "Bye Kelsey" was all I said before heading back to my apartment to change into my ninja attire and go on patrol.

O-0-o

I unbuckled the sheath from around my waist and tossed it on my bed. I had been out on patrol for about an hour or so and the streets were quiet, so I decided to head back to my apartment and turn in for the night. I jumped through my window and switched on the light. I pulled my mask off and put it on my dresser before brushing my damp and messy hair. I hadn't seen the turtles either, which was strange because they were usually out on patrol too. I was about to change out of my clothes when I saw a red and orange glow in the distance. I stuck my head out the window. _What the…?_

I saw a building in flames. I could hear the crackle and the sound of the crumbling bricks from my apartment. I put my mask back on and decided to go investigate. I buckled the sheath back around my waist and climbed out the window. I ran towards the burning building. My sword hitting against my thigh with every step and jump I made. The fire was bigger as I got a closer view of it. I heard several crashes and saw Foot ninjas jumping to safety on another building. _Foot ninjas?_ What was going on? Pieces of burning debris fell from the top. Giant portions of the concrete building were lying in the middle of the street. I swung myself onto a nearby street light and crouched down on top of it. It was the closest one to the burning building I could get to without putting myself in harm's way. I stayed still. Someone directly below me walked out of the fire from the front door. He stood several inches away from the flame. His double bladed gauntlet was by his side. My eyes widened when I realized who he was.

_Oh my god_ I said in my head. I stayed in my crouched position and didn't dare move. I was almost afraid to even breathe because he might hear me. It had been so long. I'd be lying if I said I had forgotten what his metal suit looked like. Have you ever had an old friend who you haven't seen in months or years and when you finally see them again, it's like meeting an old new face? That's how I felt, except it wasn't a good feeling. Seeing Oroku Saki several feet below me after two years made a chill go through my spine. I clutched my hands tightly on the metal rod of the street light, hoping it would somehow prevent me from jumping down in front of him and attacking him then and there. Anger and hatred burned like acid in the pit of my stomach. Several of his Foot ninjas stood on either side of him.

"Find the turtles. They cannot be far, do not allow them to escape" his raspy voice said

Hearing his voice once again made another chill go through my body. I heard police sirens wail in the distance, apparently Shredder heard them too.

"Foot ninja, disappear! Report to me when you find them" he commanded "I want to finish them myself"

With that, his loyal ninjas disappeared seconds before the police cars stopped in front of the burning house. Then something hit me, when it should've minutes before. Had he said turtles?

"Turtles? Oh no Leo, you didn't!" I groaned as I jumped to nearest safe building. Needless to say, Leo hadn't taken my advice. Boy was he going to get hell from me. Although, I had find those four reptiles before Shredder or his Foot goons do. I jumped down onto the sidewalk, lightly landing on my feet and running into alley. I pressed my back against the wall when I heard a noise. It sounded like someone moving something heavy. I looked out into the sidewalk I came from and noticed someone moving one of the manhole covers. It had to be one of the turtles. I walked towards the dark figure that came out.

"Have you completely lost your—!" I stopped and covered my mouth with one of my hands before bowing. "Excuse me sensei, I thought you were one of the turtles" Well, that was embarrassing.

He bowed to me. "I am under the impression you know what they have done" Splinter said

"I have a hunch" I said, standing up straight against "I hope I'm wrong" I added

Master Splinter handed me a letter that the turtles had written him. I skimmed over it and my hunch was proven correct. "Great," I muttered. "I just overheard the Shredder. We have to find them before he does" I told him

He nodded once. "I understand. I will search down here for them" he said

"And I'll start searching from the roofs" I added

We nodded to each other and he jumped into the shadows while I climbed up a fire escape. I scanned the roofs around me before looking into the street. When I jumped towards the next roof and looked over the ledge. There was a yellow dented car parked by the sidewalk. I jumped down and glanced at the dent. The windows were cracked and roof looked like it was dented by something round. Like a shell. I ran my hand over it. Oh yeah, one of them had definitely been here. I jumped back towards the roofs. They couldn't be far. However, every alley I looked in I only found one or two Foot ninjas. How hard could it be to find four mutant turtles?! The next alley I looked in, I found two _unconscious _Foot ninjas. I cautiously approached them and lifted one of their arms and it fell limply next to him.

"Raph" I whispered to myself and grinned. I ran out and turned right. I climbed halfway up a ladder and lunged at the nearest streetlight. I scanned the top of the roofs, looking for any shell backed creatures I can find. I heard a voice.

"I'll turn yer lights out for real, wise guy!"

I turned in the direction I heard it from. That was Raph definitely. The only problem was that the Foot ninjas heard it too because I saw several of them jumping roofs towards the direction of Raph's voice. I followed, keeping my distance from them. As I ran I heard another voice.

"Perfecto sensei! Looks like…"

The Foot ninjas jumped down into a wide area between two buildings. I looked over the ledge to find Mikey, Raph, Don and Master Splinter. Of course Master Splinter would know how to find them. I should've just followed him. _He_ would know how to find his own sons. Mikey looked like he was injured because he had a…stocking wrapped around his ankle?

"…we're surrounded" Donny finished

_No kidding_ I thought. Several Foot ninjas surrounded them from every corner. Don reached for his bow staff and Raph removed his sais from his belt.

"Master Splinter, use the remote. Get the Battle Shell" Don said

It looked like they could use a little help. This was going to fun. I jumped down next to Raph and stood in a fighting stance. He didn't seem to be too surprised by my arrival. I looked at Saki's ninjas around me. I grinned as they came running towards us.

"You guys didn't tell me you were having a party" I said

"Sorry, in case ya haven't noticed we ran outta invitations" Raph said back, jumping towards the nearest Foot ninjas to him.

"Ouch" I said "That hurts Raph. I thought I was number one on your _guest list!_" I said as I kicked a Foot ninja away from Mikey. He didn't seem to be in any condition to fight so I protected him from any attacking Foot goons.

I heard the sound of running feet behind me. I moved to the right as he came closer, his weapon missing me by a mile. I jumped off the wooden post and kicked the back of his head. I turned around and another one grabbed my neck. I placed both my hands on his wrists before kicking up my feet against his chest knocking the breath right out of his lungs. One Foot ninja ran towards Mikey with his sword. I jumped in front of him and stood on my hands before locking my feet around the ninja's neck and shifted all the weight to the side, knocking down another two that ran in this direction.

"Donatello, here, I will fight, you will drive" Master Splinter said as he handed Don the remote and jumped in to attack the Foot ninjas.

He was moving in so many directions, I couldn't keep track of what he was doing. The only thing I saw was ninjas fall to the ground and groan in pain. Their weapons were lying in either pieces or adjacent to them. All the foot ninjas were down in a matter of minutes and Master Splinter looked like he was just getting warmed up.

"Now that's one badass rat" I commented. _Wait, did I just say that out loud?_

Raph might've overheard my comment because he looked over at me and laughed. "Yer tellin' me" he said before looking back at all the groaning Foot ninjas around him. "Master Splinter, you kick butt!"

The sound of screeching tires came from down the road and Battle Shell stopped in front of us. I helped Don get Mikey into the car. I sat down in the passenger seat as Don hopped in the driver's seat and Splinter sat across from Mikey. Don accelerated into the street before Raph had a chance to sit down. He was able to grab the back of the seat before he toppled over. Don was constantly looking over at the locator screen.

"Leo's not far" he said, speeding faster.

"Slow down. You drive too quickly!" Splinter said instructively

The tires screeched as Don turned into an alley.

"And that turn was too sharp" he said

I couldn't help but laugh. Master Splinter could be a ninjitsu master and a front seat parent in the same day. I had to admit that was funny and cool at the same time. Don stopped the car and the headlights shined in Leo's face.

"Master Splinter, you've been backseat driving the whole way" Don said, as he rolled down the window. "Hey Leo, need a ride?"

"Sure" he said "Guys, I'd like to introduce you to…"

I jumped out from the passenger side and looked at him confused as he looked around him.

"…the mystery ninja" I heard him mutter

"Leo, who are you talking to?" I asked

"Never mind" he said "What're you doing here?" he asked, as he climbed into the car.

"I was out on patrol" I replied shortly, following him inside the back of the vehicle.

"Good to see you Leo!" Mikey greeted

"We were all pretty worried" Don added, joining everyone else in the back of the truck.

"Yes my sons" Splinter agreed "But now you are safe" Splinter said

By the look on Master Splinter's face, I knew what was going to happen next. He wasn't any happier about what his sons did than I was. I leaned against one of the backseats. I had to admit, if Splinter hadn't done it, I most likely would've (with sensei's permission of course). The four reptiles held their right cheek in shock.

"Ow!" Mikey exclaimed

"Hey!" Don said

"What was that for?" Raph asked

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please," I started "Don't act like you guys don't deserve it" I said, earning a scowl from Raph. I ignored him.

"For being so foolish" Splinter said sternly "You never should've tried to face the Shredder alone. He is too powerful"

"Seriously, did you guys not listen to a word I said? I told you not to underestimate him and you guys did just that" I said

"You're telling me" Don said "I've got bruises that have got bruises"

"And did you see the way Shredder walked right through that fire" Leo said

"Yeah, he was like the Shredinator or something" Mikey said in a funny accent.

Of course I had seen it. I was right above Shredder's head. That's the closest I've been to him in two years. The shock didn't exactly wear off.

"You have stirred the hornet's nest. He will not rest until he finds us"

"Hornet's nest? You guys might as well have covered yourselves in blood and jump in a pool of sharks" I said

"Graphic" Don commented, to which I shrugged.

"Hey, it's the truth" I turned to look at Master Splinter. "But then again…"

He caught on and nodded to me. I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was. Vengeance. Tonight might be as close as I'll ever get to Shredder and I knew that. Now was the right time. I was going to get my revenge. I was going to kill him. I had a feeling Master Splinter had the same thing in mind.

"What should we do Master Splinter?" Leo asked

"Let him find us" Splinter said. All four of his sons looked at one another. "I have long wished to avenge my Master Yoshi. Now is the time" he added as if reading my mind.

"I was thinking the same thing" I said with a slight grin. Shredder was finally going to get what was coming to him.

"But how do we let him find us?" Don asked

"Sit still" Splinter said simply.

"I don't know Master Splinter, sitting still isn't really our strong points" Mikey said. Master I rolled my eyes and Master Splinter shot him a glare. "Uh, right, sitting still it is. I like sitting still. Sitting still's good" he said, to which I chuckled.

O-0-o

I was sitting on top of a water tower next to Master Splinter. He thought it was better if I waited up there with him. Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey were all leaning against the bottom waiting for the Shredder. I was meditating.

_In, out…In, out…_

This was it. I was finally going to get my revenge against the Shredder.

_In, out…In, out…_

My katana lay next to me. I felt the presence of several others on top of the roof. He was here. I opened my eyes and looked below me.

"Foot ninja, attack!" I heard the Shredder's raspy voice.

"Remember my sons, even the mighty oak bends before the raging storm winds" Splinter said

"Huh?" Mikey.

Splinter groaned "Be careful and do not be overconfident" he translated

I looked over the edge to see Raph tackle two Foot ninjas to the ground. Leo jumped off of several of their shoulders. Mikey was hopping up and down on one foot because of his sprained ankle and was kicking the ninjas with that one. He looked like he could use some help. I was about to jump in to help when Shredder came out of nowhere and kicked him towards the base of the water tower.

"Mikey!" I shouted before turning my attention back to the Shredder.

He jumped on his hands and did a double flip in the air before landing on his feet. "Get them!" he commanded his ninjas.

Leo deflected several shuriken that were thrown at him. Don used his bow staff like a javelin and jumped in to attack. His bow staff broke a sword that was about to attack him from behind.

"Hold your staff higher, sweep with the left foot from that position" Splinter instructed

Don pushed away his opponent. "Jeez, now you're backseat ninjaing me Master Splinter" he responded

"Don, listen to him" I assured loudly as the Shredder came close to him.

Too late. Shredder lunged in front of Donatello and punched him numerous times before Don was thrown backwards against a wall.

"Don!" I said, looking over at him. I swear I think I heard his shell crack.

I looked back down at Oroku Saki. I couldn't sit here any longer. I grabbed my sword and jumped in to attack. One of his Foot goons jumped in front of me in a crouched position but didn't attack.

"You again" I said, jumping in for the assault.

I jumped on him and stabbed my katana next to his neck. Why didn't he attack back? I didn't have time for questions. My eyes searched for Saki and found him as he was about to attack Leo from behind. Raph jumped behind Leo, blocking Shredder's blades. I ran to help but was stopped by another Foot ninja. I growled as I held my katana in front of me. I didn't have time for this. Our swords collided. There was the sound of running feet behind me. I raised our sword higher and disarmed the sword from the opponent in front of me. I spun my leg behind me and kicked my second opponent square in the jaw. I hit the hilt of my sword right in between the eyes of my first opponent. When I looked back, Shredder had already grabbed Raph by his belt and threw him next to Donny. I jumped in front of Shredder as he started to advance towards Mikey again. My mask stuck to my mouth as I breathed heavily. I felt so much anger I thought I was going to burst. Adrenaline was pumping ten times faster through my entire body as I stared up at the man I hate. The man who killed my son. He raised his gauntlet.

"You will see no mercy from me, _girl_!" he spat.

He didn't recognize me. Perfect. I smirked behind my mask. "That's why I brought _this_!" I shouted as I swung my sword at him.

He moved to the side as I barely missed his shoulder. I moved his arm to the side as he threw a punch at me. His glowing red eyes stared down at me. We began to circle like two wolves. I heard him chuckle behind his helmet.

"So you're the she-ninja my men have told me about" he said "I've been expecting to meet you"

"So have I" I answered with a snarl in my voice as we continued to circle. My hand was tightly around the hilt of my sword.

He jumped up and tried to kick my ribs, but I deflected his foot with the flat of my blade. The force of his kick caused me to step back about two feet. I ducked as he threw another high kick. His blade came close to my face, but I pulled away just in time. I swung my sword against his shoulder, maybe leaving a scratch on his metal suit. He wasn't fazed. My anger and hatred motivated me to go faster. _Clang! _His blade and my sword collided. My sword shook in my hands as I pushed for dominance. Shredder stepped forward causing me to step back. The ground was still wet from the rain which was slowly causing me to slide backwards as he advanced even more. I felt the ledge press against the back of my calves. He had the chance to push me over if he wanted to. I'd be a human pancake. His red eyes seemed to read my mind because he chuckled. I twisted my katana around his gauntlet. I jumped on top of the ledge and flipped over him. I breathed heavily as I turned to face him with my sword held in front of me. We were several feet apart.

"Impressive" he snarled. Shredder approached me, laughing. "You are very skilled, indeed. You would do well to serve me" he said

_Been there. Done that,_ I thought. I smirked. "Sure. When hell freezes over" I spat

"Pity" he said as raised his gauntlet.

My katana came in between his two blades and he disarmed me. I stared at his glowing eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked, slightly calm.

I raised both of my fists and glared at him "That's confidential" I said angrily and jumped up to kick his chest. He blocked it with his forearm and retaliated with a punched directly in my rib cage when I landed. The impact caused me to fall. An unpleasant sensation went through one side of my body.

"I will finish you later" he said "Right now I have more important matters to take care of"

I shook my head as I sat up. I don't know how many minutes passed when the soreness finally wore off, but Shredder had attacked Mikey and moved on to Leo. They had been busy trying to keep themselves alive and fight off the Foot ninjas. All four of the turtles were trapped against the wall. I had to help them. From the distance, I saw Shredder raised his weapon once again. "None of you will leave here alive" I heard him rasp

I was so dizzy that when I stood up that I didn't know what happened next, but Master Splinter was now fighting the Shredder. I used the ledge to regain my balance and stood up straight. They were fighting underneath the water tower. I heard it creak as Shredder's blade cut through the supporting legs of it. Master Splinter was blocking every kick and punch with his walking stick. I knew what was going to happen. I grabbed my weapon and ran to safety with the turtles. I had my eyes glued to the fighting. The water tower creaked and came apart. Shredder was swept away by the water over the building. This was almost too good to be true. I was the first to jump away when it was safe and watched the remains of the water tower fall…

…right on top of the Shredder. I couldn't believe my eyes. He couldn't have survived that. No one could. I stood up and stared over the ledge. I was quiet. Master Splinter came next to me and looked below him too.

"Master Splinter…" Leo said in shock

"You okay?" Mikey asked cautiously

Splinter sighed. "Come, we have avenged my master Yoshi. Let us go home" he said

A hand came down on my shoulder and I flinched before looking at who it was. "Are you okay, Jade?" Mikey asked

How was I supposed to respond? Yes? Maybe? I wasn't sure. I uttered out two words and I've never been more relieved to say them. "It's over" I whispered, before looking back at the five of them "I'm gonna head home. You guys have a good night" I said. I bowed towards Master Splinter and headed towards my apartment. A smile broke across my face as I ran. I felt like a hundred bricks were lifted off my shoulders. My necklace lightly hit against my chest. That monster was gone. Maybe now I'll be able to sleep better. I jumped in through my window and looked at the picture of JJ. Even though I hadn't been the one to kill Shredder off, I felt like vengeance was served. Oroku Saki had died without knowing who I was. Now that was poetic.

**End of Chapter 27.**

**Okay guys, it'll be a while before we get to Notes to the Underground because there are several chapters I have to post in between. I'm not going to give any spoilers, but I will tell you guys that things are going to get intense!. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	28. Ex Encounter

**YAYY! Spring break! Do you guys know what that means? Faster updates! Whoo-hoo! Anyyyhooo, thank you to my lovely reviewers FearlessDragoness, ****FanOtheNinja121, imaginationanimation, and Guess. Your reviews = my motivation. Short chapter. Hope you guys still like it! **

**E~N~J~O~Y!**

~Jade~

"What's up dudette?" Mikey greeted as I walked out of the chamber. "I know you don't like hugging, but when has something like that ever stopped me?"

With that, Mikey tightly pulled me into a hug and I hugged him back. Nothing was going to kill my mood today. I was really happy. Mikey looked at me with a raised eye ridge.

"Hey, you hugged me back" he said

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm in a really good mood" I told him as we both pulled away. "I feel like a million dollars"

"Yeah, I can see that" Mikey replied. "Is it about a boy…?" he asked teasingly

I tied my hair up in a ponytail. "Guess again, knucklehead" I said before taking my katana out of my bag

"You won the lottery!" he guessed

I rolled my eyes. "You're way off" I said as I placed my bag in a corner. "Shredder's gone for good. I feel like a hundred bricks were lifted off my shoulders and as an added bonus he died without knowing who I was. _That_ is poetic justice. By the way, was that you the Silver Sentry was talking about on the news?"

Mikey pretended to polish his fingers on his plastron. "Well, I don't wanna brag but…yes!" he said excitedly "How'd you know it was me he was talking about?"

"It's not hard to guess, Mikey. What other goofball would call themselves the Turtle Titan?" I said as I walked into the dojo.

"Thanks! Wait…hey!"

I laughed and walked into the dojo where Don and Leo were sparring. Master Splinter and Raph were sitting on the side of the mat and watching them.

"Yer late" Raph said simply as I sat down next to him.

"I was working overtime. I'm trying to get back on my boss's good side"

Raph chuckled. "What'd ya do ta get on his bad side? Punch a customer?" he guessed

I crossed my legs in a meditating position "Try the fact that I've taken a little too many vacations" I said, before closing my eyes. It was true. Since Ryan hired me I've taken a little too many vacations. None of them were intentional of course. So far he believed that I was jumped by gang members, which wasn't too far from the truth. Then there was my apparent "flu". And I've been late a few times. I couldn't exactly afford a car. I was lucky Ryan hadn't fired me yet. I breathed through my nose and focused on meditating. A quick _thud_ interrupted my thoughts. I opened one of my eyes and saw Don jump up on his feet. I looked over at Raph. "So tell me again how exactly Leo met up with Saki?" I asked. I never did get the whole story.

Raph smirked. "Well see, Leo's ego went up a notch. Afta he got his shell handed ta him by Master Splinter, he went ta cool off on the roof. Shredder got one of his Foot goons ta send him a note. He almost got Fearless Leader ta join him on the dark side, even gave him a little letter opener as a bribe"

"The sword" I stated, to which he nodded.

"We confronted him 'bout it. Fearless and I had a little…disagreement"

"More like a physical disagreement" Mikey said from the other side of Splinter.

Don and Leo finished and bowed to one another. Don came and sat down next to Mikey while Leo went to retrieve one of his swords.

"That would conclude today's lesson" Splinter said as he stood up and walked towards his room.

"Anyway, dats when Master Splinter told us the whole story of his Master Yoshi" he said.

I grinned before I stood up and grabbed my katana. "Sounds to me like someone needs to cut his ego down to size" I said, putting my other hand on my hip.

"What's that about me?" Leo asked

"Oh, I was jus' tellin' Jade here how ya almost went over ta the dark side" Raph explained as he stood up "And she was jus' tellin' me that someone needs ta cut yer ego down ta size" he added, before walking towards the kitchen.

"Maybe just a small notch" I said as I stood in front of him. "What'd you say…Fearless?"

"I see you've been talking to Raph a little too much" he said as we bowed. Mikey had gone to the entertainment area and Don walked towards his lab table to fix something up.

"It's not a bad nickname. It's actually sort of suits you well" I said "By the way, you wouldn't mind going easy on me?" I added sweetly. I was messing with him. I think he knew that.

"Ha ha. Very funny" he said, before jumping in to attack first.

I rolled underneath him while he was still in the air. I blocked his sword that came towards my head. "So tell me more about honor. I mean it sounds like Master Splinter teaches you a lot about it" I said "My master taught me to protect, but he never said anything about honor"

"Why are you asking me?" he asked as we circled. He swung and aimed his katana at my side but I stepped about an inch away from it.

"I figure you'd know more about it since you're the big brother and "Fearless Leader" as Raph put it. So what would be an honorable and dishonorable way to fight?" I asked, as I aimed my katana at his head. He blocked it with both of his.

"Well…" he started, pushing away my weapon. "It would be dishonorable to fight an injured opponent, whether or not they're the enemy. It wouldn't be a fair fight" he explained

"Are you kidding me? Even if they're the one that attacked you first" I asked, as our weapons collided.

He nodded. "Even then" he said "It would also be dishonorable to kill or fight a weaponless opponent" he added as he pushed both his swords for dominance.

"So hypothetically speaking, if I did something like this…" I started, stepping to the side and jumping over him. Leo turned around and I disarmed one of his swords and knocked the other one out of his hand while he was still dumbfounded. I pushed his plastron with one foot and he fell back. I put my foot on his chest and pointed my sword at his head. "…and killed you right now that would be a dishonorable thing to do?" I asked

"Uh, not exactly" he said, as I stepped off him and offered my hand. He stood up. "If I was _weaponless_ and you killed me that would dishonorable" he explained "I wasn't weaponless, you disarmed me"

I rolled my eyes. "So many rules for honor and dishonor, how do you guys remember all of them?"

"We've been training in ninjitsu our whole lives. Kind of hard not to remember" he said, picking up both his swords "Besides, you fight with honor. How do you not know the difference between the two?"

"How do you know you weren't lucky that I didn't kill you?" I pointed out, as I put my katana back in my sheath. "Like I said before, I was taught 'fight to protect' not 'fight with honor'"

"Maybe I was lucky" he said "Guys, come on, let's go!" he called

Mikey, Don, and Raph came running out from wherever they were and the five of us ran out on patrol.

The sun was just beginning to set. When I was living in Florida, I didn't live far from the beach. I was always used to watching the sun set on the ocean, but watching it set on the city was almost just as good. Almost. The streets were quiet. We continued to jump from each roof. Not a Foot ninja or Purple Dragon in sight. We stopped to catch our breaths. Don was looking down at the street below. I knelt down next to him.

"Streets have been a lot safer since we destroyed Shredder" I said

"Hey, that's what I said yesterday" Mikey said "We finally accomplished something for the greater good" he added

I raised an eyebrow. "You sound like your running for election or something Mikey"

"That's what I said" Don told me, before looking back down. "It's quiet. Maybe we should go home?"

_Bang! _All of us stood up, alert. The sound echoed. We looked in different directions from where the sound came from. _Purple Dragon?_ I thought. "You might want to rethink the whole 'it's quiet' part, Donny" I said

"It sounded like a gunshot" Leo said, taking both his swords out of his scabbard.

_Bang! _There it was again.

"It's coming from over there!" Mikey said, pointing east.

"What're we waitin' for?" Raph said, jumping towards the nearest roof.

I followed him. There was a third bang. All of us ran at full speed. We stopped and looked down in an alley where the noise had come from. There was an old blue van parked there. It looked like someone was underneath the car trying to repair it. Sheesh, if the car made a sound like that he should just invest in a new one. I didn't have a car, but I was just saying. The guy stood up and wiped his forehead, before walking to the back of his van. He was tall, muscular, and had dark brown hair that would look the same as any surfer boy's. He rolled the sleeves of his faded white shirt to his elbows.

"Great," I heard him mutter.

I pulled my mask down over my chin. "No way," I said, eyeing him intently

"What?" Raph asked, as I stood up on the ledge.

"Stay here. I can handle this guy" I said, jumping down in the alley.

"Jade, don't" Leo whispered loudly.

I didn't listen. I landed on top of the van and jumped away towards the end of the alley. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and leaned against the wall as the guy looked at the roof of his van, trying to find who or what had made the loud noise on his roof.

"Eli. Riley. Jameson" I said slowly, "Wow, will miracles never cease?" I added

He turned around upon hearing his full name and pushed his hair away from the side of his face. He widened his eyes at me. "Jade? Jade, is that you?" he asked, half laughing. Eli came into closer view. He looked a lot more muscular since the last time I saw him. I remembered him having a few boyish features, but they were all gone. His appearance was no short of how a seventeen or eighteen year old boy would look. His slightly long brown hair was the same as I remembered. Disheveled yet still neat.

"In the flesh" I said simply

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's been a long time" he said, and then frowned "What'd you do to your hair?"

"Dyed it" I replied shortly

He opened both his arms welcomingly. He smiled that smile I remembered. I walked towards Eli, but I didn't hug him. Instead, I punched the side of his face. He held his right cheek and looked at me in shock.

"Ow! Jeez, what was that for?" he demanded

"For being a jackass" I told him. I could see a red circle form on his cheek.

He looked at me, dumbfounded. "Do you greet all of your exes with your fist? Jeez, if I'd have known I would've—" He stopped because I had smacked him across the other side of his face, this time with my hand. He glared at me again and held up one of his hands. "Okay, _maybe_ I deserved that one"

"Ya think?" I retorted

"Man, you two fight like an old married couple" Mikey said, jumping down from the rooftop followed by Raph, Don, and Leo.

"Jade, you know this guy?" Don asked

I jerked my thumb towards Eli. "Boys, I'd like you to meet Eli" I said "He's a knucklehead"

"Looks like we found ourselves another Mikey" Raph said

"Hey!" Mikey retorted

Eli turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "Why exactly do you hang out with five year olds in costumes?"

I hit him over the head. Eli gave me another glare and a _What _look. "Five year olds, Eli? Seriously? They're as tall as you. With that big head of yours I would've thought your brain would be bigger" I said "Guess I was wrong"

"We're real, friend" Don said cautiously "We're turtles"

"Teenage mutant ninja turtles!" Mikey added.

I chuckled. It had a nice ring to it. I looked over at Eli and waited for him to run screaming. The fact that he didn't, surprised me. I'm sure most people the turtles met did, even I had been a little weirded out when I first saw them. He was calm and studied their appearance. Either he wasn't freaked out at all or he still thought they were 'five year olds in costumes'.

"Doesn't our appearance freak you out?" Leo asked

"Dude, I've seen a lot of weird things in my life. I'm not even surprised anymore" he said

I wondered what 'weird things' he meant since four mutant turtles didn't freak him out. The four of them looked even more confused than I did. "Guys, I'll catch up with you later" I told the four reptiles, glaring back at Eli. He raised an eye ridge at me.

"You gonna be okay?" Raph asked

"Yeah, don't worry. It's only Eli. See you guys later" I replied

"Back at ya" Raph said

"Bye Jade!" Mikey added

The four reptiles jumped towards the rooftop, leaving me and Eli alone. He and I stared at one another. He awkwardly rubbed the back of neck. "So…"

I shrugged. "'So…' what?" I asked

"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing in New York?" he said

"No" I said simply.

He raised his eyebrow again. "Really?" he asked

"You know what…" I said, seating myself on top of a closed lid of a dumpster. "Why don't you just tell me since I know you're dying for me to know. Go on" I said falsely interested, resting my chin on my fist.

He grinned. "I know you want to know" he said "Don't act like you don't"

"You obviously haven't lost your ego" I replied "I can see it's grown" I added

"Ouch" he said, pretending to be hurt "That hurt, Jade. Harsh"

I rolled my eyes. "Just get to the point" I snapped "I have other places I'd much rather be than here"

He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "No one's stopping you" he said

I jumped off the dumpster and smiled at him. "You know what you're right. Who would've thought?" I said, turning to walk out the alley. Eli grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Hey, hang on. Alright, I'll tell you" he said. I stopped and folded my arms across my chest. "Truth is, I'm here helping a friend move. He got hurt a while ago and I offered to help"

"Anyone I know?" I asked, slightly interested

He shrugged and shook his head. "I don't think so" he said "So…where's Tyler?"

This time it was my turn to shrug. "How the hell would I know?"

"Well, aren't you back with him or something. I just assumed—"

"Yeah, you _assumed_" I pointed out "Doesn't mean I am. Even if I was, it's not your problem"

He pinched the area between his eyes. "Jade, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't suggesting anything. I thought Tyler might be here since you're here. I haven't seen you in a long time and—"

"And whose fault is that?" I interrupted

He sighed. "You're right, you're right. What I did was a jackass move"

"No shit" I agreed "I've been wanting to punch you like that for a long time. I'm not gonna dig up the past with you. A lot of things have changed and so have I"

"I can see that" he replied, giving me an up and down look. "I hurt you, I know I did, but I've changed too"

"I can see that" I repeated "Bigger hair, bigger ego. And just when I thought you're head couldn't get any bigger" I listed, flicking his forehead. I turned to walk out the alley again, it was getting late. I was tired and had work in the morning. Eli grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"C'mon Jade, I'm serious" he said, holding my hand in both of his. "Let me prove it to you. Are you doin' anything tomorrow?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Elijah Jameson, are you asking out your ex-girlfriend?" I asked sweetly, pretending to be flustered.

He smiled at me. "Maybe I am. What'd you say?" he asked

"Let me think…" I said sweetly, putting my hand on his cheek. "No. Good night" I told him simply, patting his cheek. I climbed up the nearest fire escape and ran home.

"Jade!" Eli called back at me.

I ignored him and continued to run, doing a cartwheel as I jumped towards the next building. I should've punched him harder or at least punched him twice.

**End of Chapter 28.**

**Like I said, it was a short chapter. Please review!**


	29. Past is Past

**Okay guys, I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've been kinda busy this week ****_and_**** had writer's block, but ignore my excuses. Thank you to my reviewers, imaginationanimation, JustElla2, and FanO'theNinja121. More reviews are always loved! I hope this long chapter makes up for my absence. Enjoy!**

~Jade~

"Yeah Ryan?" I asked, upon hearing my name.

"You're on waiter duty" he said, taking off his yellow gloves.

"Sure. No problem" I said "Give me a minute" I added as I put away the last dish

Ryan walked out again. I heard him instruct something to one of the new employees. I looked back at Whitney. "Anyway like I was saying, there's no way something like that is ever realistic. Have you seen Paranormal Activity?" I asked, to which Whitney nodded "Okay, see if they added zombies into the mix. It wouldn't be as creepy or realistic anymore"

"You obviously haven't seen The Walking Dead, my friend" Whitney said as she took out the hot cake from the over and put it on the counter. "The zombies look so real. They're old, moldy, creepy looking, and they walk like this" she pretended to walk in a creepy way with her tongue hanging out to the side and her eyes crossed.

I rolled my eyes as I rinsed the baking tray. "All zombie movies have the same storyline. You get a bunch of walking zombies and some trained zombie hunter who blows them all up with guts flying everywhere. While in ghost movies, how do you kill something you can't see or feel?"

"How do you kill something that's already dead?" Whitney countered

"Simple. You burn the bones" I replied.

Whitney opened her mouth to counter, but quickly closed it in defeat. "Okay, fine, you win this round for now"

"Jade!" Ryan called

"Coming!" I answered back. I took a small notepad and pen out of my apron before walking out of the kitchen to meet Ryan. "Where do you want me to start?" I asked

"Table three" he said, before walking in the back

I walked to the table on the left side of the restaurant. A man was sitting there with his feet propped up on the table and a newspaper covering his face. He was wearing faded jeans and black converse shoes. I looked down at my notepad.

"Hi, are you ready to order?" I asked

I heard the sound of rustling paper as he put down his newspaper. "Yes, I'd like to have today's special with a nice hot cup of you"

"Excuse me?" I said before looking up to see a brown haired boy grinning at me. I put my hands on my hips. "Eli!" I whispered, irritated "What're you doing here?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm hungry" he said simply "So am I gonna get that coffee?"

"There's a pancake house two blocks away" I said, walking towards the next table.

"Jade, wait. C'mon" he said

I felt a tug at the back of my apron. I slapped Eli's hand away. Few customers stared in my direction. I smiled sheepishly at them before glaring back at Eli. "Eli, get out before you get me fired" I muttered heatedly. He sighed and put his hands in his leather jacket. If I hadn't been so angry at him, I would've actually considered how hot he looked. He was wearing a black leather jacket on top of a white t-shirt, faded jeans and black converse. "Were you stalking me?" I demanded.

"What? No, I swear to god, I didn't know that you worked here" he said, sitting back down at his table. "Are you skipping school?"

"No, I don't go to school" I said, crossing my arms "You ditching?"

"I don't go to school either" he said "I work too. I help move heavy furniture for people who are, well, moving"

"Well, that's a great way of making a living for yourself" I retorted

"Look who's talking" he said rhetorically

I blinked, feeling myself blush a little. "Fine. Touché" I said

He drummed his fingers on the linoleum table. "So, if you're not busy after work do you want to go watch a movie or something?" he asked, with a smile.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm busy" I said. I really was. Training with Master Splinter and then most likely going on patrol with the turtles.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Doing what?" he asked

"Something that's none of your business" I answered back.

He rested both of his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "They have a new ghost movie out. I know you like ghost movies" he coaxed

I crossed both my arms in front of me. Either he somehow overheard my conversation with Whitney or he had really good memory. Somehow I hoped it was neither. "Actually, you're wrong. I prefer zombie movies" I lied. Now that had to be the one of my fattest lies ever. I only liked four different kinds of movie genres: comedy, action, western, and ghost movies.

"What?" Eli asked, confused "Since when? You hate zombie movies. Always have"

"My friend can be persuasive" I said

Lauren came and pushed me away by her waist. Luckily, I didn't lose my footing. The hot jug of coffee in her hand sloshed. She smiled sweetly at Eli. He raised an eyebrow.

"Can I warm you up?" she asked with her most innocent polite and face ever. It was disgusting. A low growl erupted in throat. I don't think anyone heard it.

"Sure," he said "If I can get my coffee" he added, looking over at me.

"I'll get you something, Eli…" I started, when I heard Ryan clear his throat. He was looking at me sternly and I have him a small smile before looking back at Eli with my still very fake smile. "For here or to go?" I said through gritted teeth.

He exhaled as if he was thinking. "You know, I was gonna take it to go, but on second thought I'll have it for here" he said, winking at Lauren which caused her to giggle.

I rolled my eyes and walked behind the counter. I scribbled 'coffee' on the notepad and half-slammed it next to the cash register. I heard Lauren giggle again before I stormed into the kitchen. "Do you have a trashcan where I can vomit in?" I asked Whitney dramatically.

"What'd I do?" she asked innocently

"No, not you" I said "I had the unpleasant pleasure of asking a customer who just so turned out to be my ex. Then Lauren came and started flirting her little head off"

"You're kidding" her tight curls bounced as she turned her head. She peeked through the tiny round window on the kitchen door. "Wow, he is _cute_! I mean, he has nothing on my boyfriend, but he's pretty good-looking. Lauren seems to like him too"

"Makes no difference to me" I muttered

Whitney turned to look at me. "You wouldn't happen to still feel something for him?" she asked

I pushed the baking pan of cinnamon rolls in the oven. "Don't be ridiculous. Guys like Eli are a dime a dozen. Lauren can have him"

She raised an eyebrow and looked back through the window. "Are you sure? I mean, he's already grabbing her ass and they're kissing like crazy"

I turned around abruptly. "He would never!" I gasped in shock, running over to her "In a public place?!" I nudged her aside with my hip, but they weren't kissing. He wasn't even grabbing her butt. They were probably flirting up a storm, but other than that, nothing. Whitney ran back to the oven and giggled. I glared at her. "That's not funny" I said

"You _so_ still like him!" she teased

"I _so_ do _not_!" I imitated in her tone "You just took me by surprise. Besides, he would never do something like that in a public place" I said, as I helped her cover a cake in icing.

"Are you talking from personal experience?" she asked, covering the top half of the cake with icing as I did the bottom.

"No!" I objected "Look, if I know Eli, I know he would never do something embarrassing in public"

"Is he kinky?" she asked, spreading a second layer of icing on the top.

"Why don't you go out there and ask him?" I suggested. She giggled again. I couldn't help, but shake my head and laugh too. It seemed like after a long time since I laughed like that. "C'mon let's finish this cake before my shift ends" I added

O-0-o

I hung my apron on the hook, before heading out. Lauren had eventually found her way back to the cash register and Eli hadn't left his spot. I was about to leave when he put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

"So?" he asked "Have you reconsidered?"

"No I haven't, Eli and if it didn't occur to you already, I'm not going to" I told him

"I'm only trying to make up for what I did" he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

I sighed. "Well, then you should know it's going to take a lot more than ghost movie dates to make up for it" I replied "I don't know what you expect from me, but I'm not going to make a big deal about what happened. It's not worth getting upset about" I added coolly

Lauren came back when she saw us talking and wrapped her arm around his. "Ready to go?" she asked

He looked down at her. "Ready when you are" he said, and they both walked out arm in arm.

I walked out in the other direction. It was pretty warm outside, at least it wasn't too hot. I found Kelsey sitting on the bench outside the apartment building. She was wearing a pink t-shirt that had a black peace sign on it with jean shorts and black flip flops. Her backpack was sitting next to her. She looked up from her phone when she saw me.

"Hey," she said

"Hey Kelsey" I replied back "Aren't you suppose to be in school right now?" I asked, looking at the time on my phone

"We were off early today" she told me "What're you doing?" she asked

"I just got off work. I was planning to go to April's before I catch up with the guys" I explained "You want to come?"

"Who's April?" she asked

I shook my head. I forgot Kelsey hadn't met April. I grabbed her wrist. "Okay, now you're definitely coming" I said, dragging her inside the building "Just let me change out of these clothes first and then we'll go"

Twenty minutes later, Kelsey and I were walking down the street towards April's antique shop. I had changed into a comfortable red tank top with black yoga pants, a black hoodie, and black Nike shoes. My bag was slugged over my shoulder and had my ninja attire, mask, my katana, and my fingerless gloves that I thought I had lost one of.

"Don't be intimidated by her advanced use of vocabulary" I told my sister "There's this guy, Casey, who she thinks of a myopic misogynistic person. She owns an antique shop too, so it's a good thing you know how to handle fragile stuff. Other than that she's pretty cool. You'll love her"

"Is she nice?" Kelsey asked later

"Well, I think so" I told her "Maybe because I haven't gotten on her bad side yet" I added as I entered the antique shop. The door made a soft _ding-a-ling _as we walked in.

"Welcome to the Second Time Around!" April called over her shoulder

"Hey April," I said

She turned around and smiled. "It's been a while, Jade" she told me

"I know, tell me about it" I said, setting my bag down in a corner and Kelsey did the same with her backpack "April, this is my sister, Kelsey. Kelsey, this is April O'Neil"

April turned to look at my sister. "Hi!" she greeted brightly "Wow, I can see the family resemblance"

"It's the hair" Kelsey said, pointing at her head "She stole it from me" she added, nudging me in the ribs.

"But I'm not a natural blonde" I pointed out. Actually, ever since the Shredder was gone I was considering going back to my normal hair. I didn't have a reason to hide anymore.

Kelsey and I hung out at April's antique shop for a little bit. She began to tell us how she 'quit' her last job when she worked for Baxter Stockman. I had almost completely forgotten about him. I remembered confronting him a while back about where Oroku Saki was. He nearly turned me into robo-chow and I haven't heard of him since. It was odd. As if he fell off the face of the earth. Not that I cared or anything. Kelsey and April got along great. April had finished making lemonade and poured some for the three of us. Somehow the topic had changed from jobs to boys. How? I have no idea. I turned to glance at my sister.

"Oh by the way, you'll never guess who I ran into this morning"

"Who?" Kelsey asked curiously

"Eli Riley Jameson" I answered

My sister's eyes widened. "Eli? _Your_ Eli?" she asked and I nodded.

"Sounds like a nice guy" April commented, sipping her lemonade.

"He was my ex" I said shortly, waving my hand dismissively.

Kelsey squeezed my hand. "How? When and where?" she insisted on knowing

I rotated the straw in my glass. "Well, technically I ran into him last night. We were out on patrol and thought we heard a gunshot which turned out to be this really old van that just so happened to belong to Eli"

"What'd you do when you saw him? Did you kiss him?" my sister asked teasingly

"No, I punched him" I said simply. I pursed my lips. I shouldn't have told her that then I had to explain why.

Her expression went from teasing to shock. "You _what_? Why?" she asked

I drummed my fingers along the counter. "He cheated on me" I lied

She frowned at me "Cheated on you" she clarified and I nodded. "Was this before or after you left?"

_Great, it always comes back to that _I thought sarcastically. I knew she would never let me live that down. In a way, I didn't blame her. I should've at least tried to contact her. "Before" I answered

It was quiet for a minute. April looked from me to my sister and seemed to notice the tension. "So, do you still like him?" she asked, breaking the ice. She leaned against the counter and looked at me interestingly.

"No, of course I don't! That's way I punched him" I said

Kelsey looked at me with a smug smile. "You still like him" she sang.

"I do not" I repeated.

"Then why are you blushing?" April asked. I glanced over at April. I was _not_ blushing! I crossed my arms in front of me and kept my mouth shut. April patted my hand. "Hey, it's okay to still have feelings for someone. I think we've all been there around some point in our lives"

Kelsey shrugged. "True" she agreed, before looking at me. "Alright we won't badger you about Eli anymore"

"_Thank you_" I said, sipping my lemonade. Kelsey giggled. I jumped off the stool. "Okay, I have to get going. Training and all" I said, brushing off my yoga pants.

"Okay, have fun" April told me before looking at Kelsey. "It was nice meeting you" she added

"Nice meeting you too" Kelsey agreed, before following me out of the shop. I threw my bag over my shoulder again and Kelsey did the same with her backpack. I turned left and my sister walked alongside me.

"Training with the guys?" she asked

"Yeah. Training, training, and more training" I listed "We might go out on patrol later too" I added as I turned around the corner. I don't think there was any reason to go out on patrol anymore. The streets were quiet.

"Mind if I come?" she asked "I'm free for the rest of the day"

I stopped and glanced at her. "It's dangerous, Kelsey" I told her. She gave me a look. I gave in. "Okay fine" I said, as we continued walking.

She smiled and continued to walk alongside me. Hopefully with how safe the streets were now, we might not even go out on patrol. She took out a thick textbook from her backpack and flipped through the pages. "By the way, are you good at Trig?"

"Ugh. Don't even rely on me with any math related crap. You can ask Donny" I suggested "I'm sure he's good at that stuff"

"Don?" she asked

"Yeah" I said "They might be living in sewers all their lives, but that doesn't mean they didn't spend most of their time studying, especially Don. You've seen everything he's made: the car, the cell phones, he even did all the wiring stuff in the lair by himself" I listed "He loves taking things apart and putting them back together, either new and improved or the way it was before. I'm sure Trig would be music to his ears"

"Wow, you know a lot about him" she said

I closed my mouthed. I just realized I knew a bit about all of them. I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I do. I've been around them a lot. Maybe even a little too much" I said as we came to the warehouse.

"Uh, Jade? I'm sure this isn't their place" Kelsey said

"Actually it is. Unless you want to take the sewers to get to their place" I suggested

"I'd rather not" she said, as I crawled through a small broken window. I helped her through after.

O-0-o

The chamber door opened and the lair was surprisingly quiet. I set my bag down and took off my hoodie. I put on my fingerless gloves and took out my sword. I didn't notice it when I walked in, but the only turtles there were Don and Raph. Don was at his lab table and Raph endlessly trying to beat his punching bag to the stuffing. "Hey Don" I said

"Hey Jade" he said, not looking up from his desk. He scribbled something down on a piece of paper and pressed his hand to his green forehead.

"Where is everyone?" I asked

"Mikey was getting on my shell so Leo took him out to do some training exercises" Don explained, still not looking up.

"Hey Don, are you good at Trig?" I asked

He raised his head. "Yeah, why?"

"Kelsey could use a little help" I said

"Unless you're busy. I don't want to bother you" Kelsey said, seeing Don looked rather busy.

"No, I'm not. Trig's music to my ears. Besides, I could use a break"

"Told you" I whispered to her and looked back at Donny. "Wait, you do Trig to relax yourself?"

He shrugged. "What can I say?" he said guiltily as Kelsey walked over to his desk.

I heard the chamber door open behind me and Mikey and Leo walked out of it. Mikey half walked, half dragged himself inside his home. He looked exhausted. His shoulders slumped and he was half hunched over.

"You work him to death?" I asked Leo

He shrugged. "He started getting tired halfway through the warm up" Leo explained as he watched Mike slump down on the couch.

"Yeah, well, you don't seem to be breaking a sweat" I said to him

"I'm not" he said as he walked in the middle of the dojo and started to meditate.

I decided not to disturb him. I looked over at Raph who had his back/shell to me. He seemed really focused on beating the stuffing right out of the punching bag. He seemed like a good opponent. I walked over to him and watched as he threw in a kick or two between his punches. Raph seemed completely unaware of my presence. "Careful Raph. You're hurting the punching bag" I said, spinning my sword in my hand.

He stopped after hitting the punching bag with a swift back kick. "That's the idea" he said, swiping his hand on his forehead. "Ya need somethin'?"

I continued to spin the sword in my hand. "I could use a little training. You don't seem to be too busy. One round" I said, "What'd ya say?"

He raised an eye ridge at me and looking at the sword I was still spinning in my hand. "You'll lose" he stated, before he went back to fighting his punching bag.

I stopped twirling my katana and delivered a roundhouse kick on the punching bag, making Raph missing a punch. "What's wrong Raph? Scared you're gonna get your butt kicked by a girl?" I asked challengingly

He glared at me. I heard Mikey say 'oooohhh' from the couch. Raph pointed a finger at me. "Hey, I ain't scared of nothin'" he said "I'll take ya up on yer offer" he said, taking his sais that were stabbed into the wall.

I grinned. I always loved a challenge. Raph seemed like a good one. He ran at me and I blocked his sais several times, getting him slightly annoyed. He aimed a kick at my head. I ducked and flipped out of the way. I was surprised. For a guy who had a lot of anger and energy, I would've expected him to be a little faster. I was serious for about a minute, but then I just started to mess with him. At one point, Raph blocked my katana with his sais and my sword was high above my head. I push against his plastron and flipped out of the way. "Calm down, Raph. I'm just messing with you now" I said

"So I can tell" he said, twirling his sais. Regardless, he came at me with full speed. Our weapons collided. "So, this Eli character…" he started, disarming my katana and throwing it up in the air.

I jumped off a brick pillar and caught my weapon before it fell. "What about him?" I asked as I landed on my feet.

"What's his story?" he asked "I'm guessin' ya got a history with him. A long history"

I shrugged. "What makes you think that?" I asked

"Well, for one thing ya punched him. Twice" he added, getting my sword in between one of his sais.

"Technically, I punched him once. I slapped him the second time" I pointed out

"Like I said, ya got a history" he said before lunging towards me

"What, everyone I punch you assume I have a history with?" I asked half jokingly

"Hey, I hit Mikey all the time. I got a history with him" he said, running towards me

I stepped back and kicked his shoulder before knocking his feet out from under him. I looked down at him with my fists on my hips. "Why do you care?" I asked

He jumped up on his feet. "Curiosity" he said, before pinning me down on the ground "Gotcha"

I smirked. "No, got you" I said, pushing him over me. I grabbed my sword and pressed the flat of it against his chest before he could get up. "You lose" I added.

"Cool" I heard Kelsey comment. For a brief moment, I felt a quick flash of pride as I stood up. Maybe my sister was finally warming up to my 'ninja-side'. I offered my hand to Raph, but he stood up himself and grumbled something.

"Don't you know curiosity kills the cat?" I said

"I ain't exactly a cat, in case ya haven't noticed" he said, stowing his sais back in his belt.

I picked up my sword. "Fine, curiosity kills the turtle" I said

"Now that makes more sense" he chuckled, as he walked towards the couch.

I followed him. Mikey came walking out of the kitchen and tossed me a soda can. Raph leaned against the couch on my left. Mikey seated himself on the other couch. "Like I said, Eli was my ex" I told them, "Believe me, he wasn't always so cocky" I added, sipping my soda

Raph chuckled. "I ain't too sure 'bout that. Where'd ya meet the guy?"

I swallowed my beverage. "I don't remember" I lied. However, I did remember rather vividly.

_~Flashback~_

_The music was playing so loudly it almost felt like a second heartbeat. Palmer, a girl from my volleyball team, decided to throw a party after our big win. She practically invited anyone who was on any kind of sports team. You had football players, tennis players, swimmers, people from water polo, basketball players, track runners, wrestlers, cheerleaders, and softball players; girls and guys scattered all over the place. I had talked to a few football boys, but they had nothing better to do that boast about _their_ big win. They talked about it as if it was one man versus the entire team. After a while, I grew bored of talking with them. My best friend, Diane (she was a cheerleader), was not two feet away from me, flirting with a too cute baseball player. I was with Palmer and another girl from the team drinking my fruit punch, but had my eyes on one particular guy talking to his buddies on the other side of the room. _

_"Hey Diane" I called softly to her_

_She didn't listen and continued to flirt with the baseball player._

_"Diane?"_

_She still didn't listen. I pulled her arm. "Diana!" I said _

_She glared at me. For some reason she didn't like it when I called her by her real name which was Diana. She preferred I called her Diane. She looked back at the baseball player. "One minute" she said sweetly, before looking back at me. "You are such a third wheel!" she said._

_"You love me" I said teasingly_

_She sighed. "I know" she said "Somehow I'll never be able to resist those blue eyes" she said dreamily, stroking my cheek. _

_"Oh stop it" I laughed, pushing her hand away. I took a small sip of my fruit punch._

_Diane put her hands on her hips. "So, who're you checking out?" she asked_

_I crossed my arms, still holding the red cup in my hand. I pointed my chin to the guy on the opposite side of the room. "Him. Who's that?" I asked_

_Diane looked in the same direction I was looking in. She gave me a smug smile. "Elijah Jameson. Eli for short" she said_

_"You talked to him?" I asked interestingly_

_She shrugged. "For a bit. He's okay. I think you'll like him though, he'll float your boat" she added, looking at me smugly. "I guarantee he'll sweep you off your feet"_

_I took a sip of my drink. "Football?" I asked_

_"No, basketball. I'm surprised you don't know him. He is in you're AP History class" she added_

_I choked. "No he's not" I said_

_"Yes, he is" Diane insisted _

_"No" I said again, looking back at him "I swear I'd know if he was"_

_"Maybe because you're trying to keep hold of Tyler. You need someone new, someone fresh!" she said "And Eli Jameson is that guy for you. You know where Tyler is? He's probably making out with some cheerleader in the corner. I say, you go for it" she insisted _

_I had to admit, the more I studied him, the more I liked him. He looked very attractive in his black and blue plaid shirt and jeans. In a room full of guys who had their hair gelled up, it was appealing to see a guy's hair that moved. I began to size him up and Diane seemed to notice. She folded her arms across her pink dress. "So, what is your brain telling you?" she asked _

_"My brain is telling me that he plays the guitar" I started "High IQ, boyfriend material, and that he's mysterious, it sort of gives him that sexy edge. Maybe even a nice body underneath that shirt of his"_

_"Sounds like your type" she said "Well, what're you waiting for? Go talk to him" Diane urged_

_"Alright, alright" I said. Just I was about to put my cup down when he looked in my direction. He smiled at me. I felt myself blush and I turned back to Diane "Maybe, I'll wait until he's alone" I suggested, as he turned back to talk to his buddies. He looked in my direction and looked back again._

_"If you wait until he's alone, I guarantee some other girl will catch his interest" she told me._

_Once again, I glanced over at him. I wanted to just grab him by his shirt and pull him away from his friends. What was it about him that made me not walk up there? I put down my red plastic cup and brush the front of my shirt. Diane rolled her eyes_

_ "Fine. If you won't go after him, I will. I think he liked me" she said, starting to walk over to him. I grabbed the white ribbon that was around her waist and pulled her back. _

_"Dibs" I said as I walked past her. My best friend rolled her eyes and giggled before going back to talk to the baseball player. I tousled my hair a little. I felt really confident as I walked towards him. My hair was in loose black curls and flowed behind my shoulders. I felt sexy in my strapless white fitted top that hugged my curves with my dark denim skinny jeans and black wedge sandals. His friends seemed to be the first one to notice me as I walked over because they nudged my eye candy in his side. He glanced at me once again and I gave him a flirty smile. He was even cuter up close. "So, what's your position on the football team?" I asked. I felt superior knowing the answers to the questions I asked_

_He leaned against the wall. "I'm not in football" he said with a smile._

_"Funny. I mistook you for one"_

_He put his hands in the pockets. "Well I hope just because I'm not a quarterback isn't some sort of turn off for you" he said_

_"It's not. Just surprised" I replied, placing my hands on my hips. "I happen to like surprises. It tends to keep things interesting. Most of the football players I met have nothing better to do that talk about themselves anyway"_

_"Well, I'm hoping to meet a either a girl in tennis or volleyball"_

_I smiled. "Well, you're in luck. I happen to be in one of those two" I said _

_"Lucky me" he said "Volleyball" he guessed_

_I blinked in disbelief. "How did you know?"_

_He held up two fingers. "Two things. One, you definitely have the legs for them. Two, I've seen you play" he said_

_"You were at my game?" I asked in surprise_

_He nodded. "I was. By the way, your serve was a little too high, don't you think you should've gone a little easier on the opposing team?"_

_I stepped closer to him so there was only an inch space between us. I stared at his face. "Where's the fun in that?" I said_

_He leaned his face closer to mine. "I see you tend to get a little competitive"_

_"Maybe" I replied. Our lips were about an inch away from each other, but we stopped when we both heard a ringing noise. I groaned when I realized it was my cell phone. I took it out and saw the caller ID said 'Dad'. I looked back at Eli. "Sorry, I have to take this"_

_He pulled back, looking disappointed. "Go ahead" he said_

_I made my way into the kitchen and answered the phone call. "Hi Dad" I said_

_"Jade, where are you? Do you realize how late it is?" he demanded_

_"Late?" I repeated "Dad, it's barely eight" I said, looking at the digital clock on the microwave._

_"I know. I told you I didn't want you out this late, Jade" he said "I want you to come home now" he said _

_"Dad!" I objected, but he had hung up. "Buzz kill" I muttered. I walked back out of the kitchen and looked for Eli, but he was gone. I sighed and scanned the room for Tyler, I had carpooled with him. I walked over to Palmer. "Hey Palmer, have you seen Tyler anywhere?"_

_"I think I saw go outside with Emma" she told me_

_I thanked her and walked out to the front. Once I stepped outside, I saw Tyler climb into his black Honda Civic and drive off with Emma sitting in the passenger seat. I let out an exasperated groan. My dad was gonna kill me. I took out my phone and dialed my mom's number._

_"Hello?" _

_"Hi Mom" I said "Uh, Tyler's car is having some trouble. Do you think you could pick me up from the supermarket across the street?" I asked. I wanted my parents to spare me the lecture on who I should carpool with next time. Also, the last thing I needed was father to call Tyler and demand an explanation on why he left me stranded at the party._

_"Oh no, that's terrible. I'll be right there. Does he need a ride too?" she asked. My mother was sometimes too sweet to people._

_"No Mom" I said "Trust me, he's just fine" I said_

_I heard her sighed. "Alright, I'll be right there. Love you"_

_"I love you too" I replied before hanging up the phone. A hand came down on my shoulder almost causing me to scream. I turned around and sighed in relief. "Oh, it's you"_

_"Yeah, it's just me" Eli said_

_"No, I didn't mean like that, I…" I stopped when something occurred to me. "Oh my god, I never told you my name" I said_

_"Jade Copeland" he said "Middle blocker on the volleyball team"_

_I couldn't help, but smile. I swallowed "And you're Eli Jameson" I said and he raised an eyebrow "We have AP History together"_

_The edge of his mouth twitched. "So you noticed me" he said_

_"Well…" I started as I moved closer to him and brushed his hair away from his forehead "It's hard to miss a pretty face" I said_

_"I know how that feels" he said "So, was your boyfriend where you were" he asked, as he noticed the phone in my hand._

_"What? Oh no, that was my mom" I explained "My date bailed, so she picking me up from the supermarket" _

_He raised both his eyebrows this time. "The supermarket? That's far" he said_

_I frowned. "It's across the street, Eli"_

_"That's still far. You don't know how many pedophiles, muggers or rapists could be lurking between here and the supermarket. C'mon, let me at least walk you. Just in case" he said_

_"Eli Jameson, don't you have a wild imagination" I said_

_"You can never be too careful" he pointed out_

_I knew for a fact this was a safe neighborhood, but I let him walk me. It was a breezy night. As we walked across the street, Eli's fingers entwined with mine. I didn't notice it until we stopped walking. He let go once we stopped walking. I thought he might want to head back to the party, but Eli stayed by my side. My mood was slightly lifted from being bailed on. After a while, he looked down at me. "So, when did she say she'll pick you up?" _

_I watched the passing cars, looking for my mom's car. "She'll be here" I said "Don't you want to head back to the party?" I asked. _

_He shrugged his shoulders boringly. "Eh, it was getting loud in there. Anyway, I don't think we finished our conversation" he added, stepping towards me_

_I smiled. "Where did we leave off?" I asked softly_

_Once again, he leaned towards me. His lips looked soft. I began to close my eyes when I saw a car pull into the parking lot. It was my mom. I groaned and pulled back. Eli opened his eyes and I gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, my mom is here" I sighed and looked back at him. He hadn't pulled back. His eyes were brown. I think I melted slightly. "I better get going. You know how parents are. They can be so strict sometimes. Especially my dad, he…" I stopped rambling because out of nowhere, Eli pressed his lips to mine. The momentary shock wore off and I embraced it. My fingers lightly wrapped around his wrists as he put his hands behind my neck. Did I smell Calvin Klein? When he pulled away I was still very much lost in the moment._

_He looked in my eyes and grinned. "You said so yourself, you like a surprise". Eli stepped back about a foot and put his hands in his pockets. "Well, I better get going before your mom sees me"_

_I nodded like an idiot. He began to walk away. "Don't get raped" was the last thing I said to him as he walked off. He looked back at me and laughed. I felt even more like an idiot. _

~Present~

Unfortunately, when I went to school the next day we acknowledged each other, but didn't talk. It was almost as if it never happened. For a while it was. I looked back at Raph. "It's a hazy memory. It was a long time ago" I said dismissively.

"Hey, I didn' ask for details. I jus' wanna know how ya met him. Guy seems kinda fishy" he said boringly. His eyes looked above my head. "Well, look who decided ta join us"

I turned my head as Leo stretched his arms. I made room for him as he sat down on my right. "How was meditation?" I asked

"It was rather relaxing" he told me

"Jade was just telling us about her boyfriend" Mikey said from the other couch.

"He's not my boyfriend anymore" I told him coolly "Not like I can get rid of him either" I muttered silently. Although, Leo seemed to overheard my comment.

He leaned back on the couch. "You make it sound like he's stalking you. Is he?" he said

"No, he's not stalking me" I answered truthfully. "I just meant that Eli will always be a part of my life whether I like it or not"

"How come?" Raph asked suspiciously

I sighed. Should I tell them? No point in hiding it. _They know everything else._ My brain reasoned. "He was…" I quickly looked back at my sister to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping. She wasn't. Kelsey seemed too absorbed in whatever Don was telling her about Trig. I looked back at the red and blue bandanna turtles. Mikey seemed to have dozed off. "Eli was JJ's father" I said finally

**End of Chapter 29.**

**I'll update as soon as I can. Please review!**


	30. Anger and Suspicion

**Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. I've been super busy and haven't had time to proofread this chapter. Anyway, again, ignore my excuses and enjoy reading!**

~Jade~

After a nice shower, my wet hair was in a bun and I was on my way to work. I was passing by an alley when I heard two male voices. It sounded like a heated argument. I slowed my pace and listened in.

"You paid half. Now, give me the rest of the money, you dick. It's time you stopped playing hide and seek" the first male voice said

"Hiding? You're the one that's hiding. I got the money" he said "But you're not gettin' it until you give me _my_ other half" the second male voice replied. It took me by surprise when I realized it was Eli's voice.

I looked inside the alley to see Eli with a nasty cut on his head. The other guy shoved Eli against the wall and punched his stomach. I followed my gut instinct and ran to intervene. I pulled on the other guy's shoulder. "Hey, stop it!" I demanded, pulling him away. Eli put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. "Are you okay?" I asked. I held his arm to steady him as he stood up straight and glared at the other guy.

"The gloves are off" Eli retorted, as he stepped towards the other guy. I put my arm across his chest to stop him.

"Fine by me" he said, before looking at me "You're lucky your girlfriend's here to save your ass" he added

Eli shoved my arm away and grabbed the other guy by his throat. "Eli!" I shouted, but he didn't listen to me.

The other guy was slowly turning red as Eli choked him harder. "If you even _think_ about coming near her…" Eli started "You're going in a body bag"

I pulled Eli away by his shoulder. It wasn't easy, he was stronger than I was and taller. "Eli, that's enough. Let him go, you're gonna kill him" I said, tugging on his shoulder.

He looked at me for a brief moment, but finally released the guy's neck. Eli stood in front of me. The guy massaged his neck and pointed a finger in Eli's face. "This isn't over yet, Jameson. You better watch your back" he said

I stood in front of Eli and glared up at the guy. "And you better watch yours" I said threateningly

He didn't blink, instead he turned to walk out the other end of the alley. Eli leaned against the wall and pressed his hand to his forehead. "Where did that come from?" he asked "I never thought you could do intimidating" he added

I turned and put my hands on my hips "When you're a ninja, you kinda have to be. Now it just comes to me naturally" I explained "Now my turn to ask the questions, what the hell was that all about? Who was that guy?" I asked

"A hothead with a gambling addiction" he explained "Nothing serious"

"Oh yeah, he nearly beat you to a pulp and threatened you, nothing serious at all" I said sarcastically "What's going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?" I asked

"It's none of your business. I can handle it myself" he said

I watched as a trail of blood went down the side of his face. "You're bleeding" I pointed out unnecessarily

He swiped his hand against the side of his face. "It's just a scratch" he said dismissively. He stepped forward and stumbled. I grabbed his arm before he can hit his head against the dumpster.

"C'mon, I'll help you" I said, putting his arm around my neck. I hope we had a first aid kit somewhere in the shop. It was just around the block. Ryan was cleaning the windows from outside his shop. At first he looked confused, but then he saw the cut on Eli's head. "He got in fight. Please tell me you have a first aid kit around here"

He opened the door for us as I helped Eli get inside and sat him in a chair. Ryan walked behind the counter to find the first aid kit. He groaned as he put his arms on the table and rested his head on his hands. "Aw, my head…" he groaned. I hit his arm hard, causing him to sit up. "Ow! You hit really hard, you know that?" he stated

Ryan came back with the first aid kit and put it on the table. "I can take it from here" I assured him

He nodded before looking at Eli. "You alright?" he asked

"Hey, I'm safe in her hands" he replied, looking at me.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I meant your head"

"He knew that" I said, as I took out clean gauze and dabbed some rubbing alcohol on it. Ryan nodded to me and walked in the back. I barely got the gauze to touch his forehead when he grabbed my wrist and held it at arm's length. "Hold still" I told him, pulling his hand away. I ran the gauze over his cut, causing him to flinch. "You're such a baby"

"Hey, I've been through worse pain. It's been a while though" he said

"Well, since we're on the topic of pain…" I started

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy seeing me getting my butt kicked" he muttered

"Unfortunately, I didn't" I replied, pulling away the gauze and sat with my arms crossed. "Though I would like to know why you did what you did _and_ you know, I don't mean the fight"

I stood up and walked back in the kitchen to find an ice pack in the freezer. When I came out again, Eli was looking at his reflection in a spoon. I handed him the ice pack and sat back down across from him. He gave me a small smile as he pressed the ice pack to his forehead. I shrugged. "Why'd you leave?" I asked indifferently

He sighed. "I don't know, Jade…" he started

I turned my head and shook it. I was looking for a different answer.

"I mean, ever since what happened with…" he looked behind him o make sure no one was eavesdropping before looking back at me. "Ever since what happened with our son, I just thought there wasn't any reason for staying" he explained.

This was how we always talked. Instead of saying 'since the fire' or 'since our son died' we say 'since what happened'. It was too painful for us to talk about, especially me. I had been with JJ longer than Eli had. I shrugged. "So you just got up and left" I stated

"I hate what I did, okay?" he said "I shouldn't have left you to mourn him by yourself. I was thinking about what I had to do. The only reason we were hiding on that island was to protect our son and get away from that Shredder guy you told me about. I thought after what happened we didn't have to hide anymore"

"You thought _you_ didn't have to hide anymore" I corrected

Eli frowned "What?" he asked, confused.

I shrugged. "Shredder could care less about you. He thought I was dead, so I had to stay in hiding" I said calmly "At first I thought maybe you needed some space and to be alone for a while. It hadn't been a week since our son was murdered and you just ran off. Look, I don't care that you did, I just wanted to know why" I finished, standing up. Eli stood up too and blocked my way.

"If I could do it over, you know I would. I wish I stayed and helped you. I know that fire still haunts you"

I pointed my finger at his face. "_Don't_ mention that fire" I said icily, fury in my eyes. My anger was starting to get the best of me. I exhaled slowly through my mouth, trying to relax. It didn't help so much. I had to meditate more often. Finally I managed to calm down, somewhat. "Besides, you're too late. You can't help anymore, I healed myself" I explained coolly, slowly lowering my hand. I walked past him to get my apron.

"You think I wasn't mourning him too?" he asked "He was our son."

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad, Eli. I forgive you for disappearing into thin air, but getting back with you is probably not a good idea for me" I said truthfully.

"Why? Because your dad and your master don't approve of me?" he said it in a way as if he was accusing me of something.

"This isn't about them" I said sharply. When I came to that island with my son, my master didn't approve of Eli anymore than Kelsey's father did. Though, my master was at least able to tolerate him since he was JJ's father.

Eli stepped toward me, closing whatever space we had between us. "Then what?" he asked impatiently

I stared up at him as he stared back. I wasn't intimidated by him. I never was, never will be. "How do I know you won't do it again?"

He blinked and stepped back in amazement at what I said. "You don't trust me" he stated

I sighed. "I never said that" I told him

"You didn't have to" he said, walking towards the door.

"Eli, you're head…"

"I don't need your help" He stopped and looked back at me "Next time you see me getting jumped, don't bother coming to my rescue" he said before walking out.

"I'm not planning on it" I retorted angrily. I flipped the Close sign to 'Open' on the front window. I walked towards the kitchen and prepared fresh coffee and other whatnot for the day. This day couldn't end soon enough.

O-0-o

I dropped my bag in the corner. I was early and the lair was quiet. My red tank top and yoga pants were clean and smelled like linen. I hadn't had much time to do laundry, so I quickly grabbed whatever clothes I found lying around along with my ninja suit and threw them in the washing machine. I was too angry to care about whether or not I was wearing the same clothes I had worn the day before. I pulled on my fingerless gloves and headed over to Raph's punching bag. Whether he minded or not, I didn't care. Right now I felt really violent. I wanted to punch something. I ran towards the punching bag. The locket was hitting against my chest. I used all the strength in my legs and jumped up as I kicked an exceptional side kick. I punched the bag with everything I had. I did a double punch combo with a spinning roundhouse kick. I did multiple combos and made up some of my own. My fourth knuckle began to turn red. I didn't care and I continued to punch. I don't know how many minutes went by when I started huffing like a dog with my hands on my knees.

"Turn yer wrist more"

I turned my head to see Raph standing behind me. "What?" I panted; sweat just began forming on my head.

He walked over to me. "Turn yer wrist more. Gives ya a more full punch" he said as he demonstrated a punch on the bag.

He moved to the side to let me try. "I don't tell you how to fight, you don't tell me how to punch" I said sharply. Raph didn't say any good comeback. He just chuckled as I continued to beat the bag to a pulp like he tried to do the day before.

"Someone's obviously not in a good mood"

I stopped for a minute when I felt my gut jerk. I turned around to grabbed Raph's wrist and thrust it downward before his sai hit me between the eyes.

He pulled his hand away and jumped several feet back. He crossed his weapons in front of his face. "Wanna talk 'bout it?"

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my katana out of my bag and lunged towards him. Our weapons collided. Right now, my sword had more control over his. "No offense Raph, but you're the last person I'd talk to about my problems"

"Ouch" he said, kicking my feet out from under me.

"Take it as a compliment" I suggested "I'm not a huge talk-about-it kind of girl anyway. Just trying to blow off some steam" I ran and did a spinning kick, knocking both sais out of his hands.

"How 'bout hand to hand combat instead" Raph suggested

I threw my sword aside and held up both of my hands. "Now you're talking my language"

He threw a punch at my head, I blocked it with my forearm and twisted his arm behind his back. I pushed my knee against his shell and pinned him on the ground. He turned to his side and pushed me away. Raph and I continued to spar. I eventually was able to pin his arm behind his back, but he flipped me over and pinned my shoulders to the ground. He stepped back as I stood up again. I tied my hair up. My anger had finally cooled off. "You're not bad for a turtle" I said, as I took out a water bottle from my bag.

"You ain't too bad yerself for a girl" he said, rotating his arm backwards. I might've twisted a little too hard. He walked towards the kitchen and I followed.

"What can I say? I love a good fight" I replied, leaning against the table.

"Ya like fightin'?" he asked, though he said it more like a statement. He _meant_ it more like a statement.

I shrugged as I pulled my water bottle away from my lips. "I guess, yeah. Fighting comes naturally to me. It's all instinct" I replied, tapping my temple. "By the way, thanks for letting me blow off some steam"

"Hey jus' call Raph ta help ya blow off some steam" he said, half-jokingly "Especially when yer thinkin' 'bout yer ex"

I sighed. "Is it that obvious?" I asked

He chuckled. "Oh yeah" he said, not helping me feel any better "I'm jus' disappointed you were smashin' my punchin' bag and not his face"

"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked

Raph shrugged his shoulders again and walked next to me. "I don't know Jade. There's jus' somethin' 'bout that guy tellin' me he's bad news"

"Well he's definitely stubborn" I muttered. "Sometimes I really get the urge to just throw a vase at his head"

He glanced at me and grinned. "That bad, huh?" he said amusingly

"He just really got on my nerves this morning" I said shortly.

I heard shuffling in the dojo. I began to walk out the kitchen when Raph grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"I'm not kiddin', Jade" he said seriously "There's somethin' wrong with yer baby daddy" he told me

I frowned. "You met him once" I pointed out. He let go of my shoulder and we walked out the kitchen. Don was sitting at his lab table with a pencil behind his ear. I walked over to him and saw he was studying the book he took from Shredder, the one with the passage about me dying in a fire. "What're you doing, Don?" I asked.

"Studying the symbols" he replied "These symbols tell something different than this passage"

"It's just a bunch of dumb symbols, Don. It's not like they mean anything" I said, sipping my water

"Maybe they do. Kelsey's been helping me crack them. I think we might be close" he said

I spat out my water and glared at him. "Kelsey? _My_ sister Kelsey?"

"Yeah…" he said, confused by my outburst. I saw him blink behind his mask as he came to a realization. "Oh no, don't worry she has no idea that your name's even in here, I swear. Not a clue" he said

"Not making me feel any better" I muttered "Do you have any idea what'll happen if she realizes it's about me?!"

"Hey, hey, calm down. Trust me, as far as Kelsey knows, this is just some random book I found when we moved in here" he assured "This is what we figured out so far…" he continued, pointing at the symbols.

"Don, I swear if those symbols have as much as my written in there somewhere, I will burn that book" I said warningly. I knelt down next to his desk as he pointed out the first line of symbols for me. The first image was of two stick figures and one of them had a Foot symbol behind it. The second symbol was one much smaller stick figure.

"This one…" Don started, tapping at the image of two stick figures "…is you and Eli. I'm guessing the one with the Foot symbol behind it is you"

"Since I worked for the Shredder" I finished, looking over the first line. "Then that would mean this is my son?" I guessed, pointing at the second image. Don nodded his head.

"Guys!" Leo called "Patrol, let's go" he said, running towards the chamber door.

O-0-o

"Hey Leo, don't you think going on patrol is kinda pointless now? Shredhead's gone" Mikey reasoned

"I know, but we still have Purple Dragons and robbers running around" Leo pointed out

We jumping from roof to roof and like many of our other recent patrols we found nothing. In a way it was strange. Almost like everyone went into hiding since Shredder was out of the picture. I was getting the feeling like the Foot ninjas were planning something like a surprise attack to avenge their master. It was probably a long shot or maybe it was just my paranoia talking. I was beginning to get a bad feeling about how quiet it was. For some reason, something in my gut was telling me to turn around. We continued to run and Leo threw in a few exercises for us to do. I didn't participate. Something was bothering me. I decided to go with my gut feeling and ran back. The turtles gave me a brief confused look as to why I began running back. I stopped on one building and looked across the street. There was an apartment on the fourth floor that had shattered glass all over the fire escape. I jumped down in the street before climbing up the ladder of that building. Once I reached the fourth floor, I stood cautiously on the fire escape. One hand was on the hilt of my sword. I felt a _swoosh_ and I knew the turtles were crouched on the rail behind me.

"Uh, Jade…?" Mikey started

"Shh!" I said sharply as I walked through the broken sliding door. It was pitch black and I caught the strong stench of blood. The glass crunched underneath my boot. Don stepped inside first and slowly felt his hands against the wall, trying to find a switch. "Watch where you step" I told them quietly

There was a small click and the lights came on. I heard someone groan. The turtles widened their eyes. I looked down to see someone lying on the floor with their arm covered in blood.

"Eli?!" I shouted, throwing down my sword and kneeling down next to him. "Oh my god, what happened?!"

He tried to sit up, but I reached over and put a firm hand on his uninjured shoulder to keep him down. Don came down next to me and examined his injured shoulder, which was obviously stabbed. The blood soaked Eli's light blue shirt.

"What'd you need, Don?" Leo asked seriously

"Okay, gauze, towels, rubbing alcohol and hot water" he listed

Raph, Mikey, and Leo ran in different directions to find the supplies Don required. I supported Eli's head with both my hands so he looked at me. "Eli? Eli, look at me. Who did this to you?" I asked frantically. He was pale. "Donny?"

"He lost a lot of blood, he might be unconscious. Try talking to him, don't let him fall asleep"

I patted the side of Eli's face. "C'mon Eli, don't do this. Wake up!" I half shouted, giving him a rough pat on his cheek. He flinched and then he groaned. His eyes looked around the room for a moment before he found my face. Raph, Leo, and Mikey came back with everything Don asked for.

"Jade?" Eli managed to say. "What're you doing here?"

"I saw the mess from across the street" I said shortly, before my eyes fell back on his stab wound "What happened?" I asked again

He groaned. "S-Some guy broke in through the window and stabbed me"

I lifted his head and grabbed a cushion from the couch before placing it behind his head. I squeezed his hand assuringly.

"Where'd he go?" Leo asked him

"I don't know I blacked out after that" Eli explained, trying to move.

"He's gonna be fine. We have to clean his wound" Donny explained, pouring alcohol on a towel and pressing it to his shoulder.

I squeezed his hand. I tugged off the already ripped sleeve from Eli's arm. What surprised me was that his entire arm was bandaged except for his shoulder where he was stabbed. I watched as Don wrapped his shoulder in more bandages. He had to put on a few layers because they kept bleeding through. Eli was panting in relief by the time he was done. In the process, I had my hands covered in blood because of the small puddle around him. He was still pale. "How do you feel?" I asked.

"Peachy" he replied in a slight murmur.

I checked his pulse. It was normal for the most part, but then again I wasn't a doctor. I looked up at Leo, I knew right now probably not the best time to ask him questions. He gave me an understanding look and nodded. "We have to find who did this" I said, standing up. Eli grabbed my wrist with his other hand.

"Jade…don't go" he managed to groaned.

I widened my eyes in shock. I felt my cheeks grow warm. Luckily, my mask concealed it, but I didn't know why I was blushing. Though, I knew we couldn't leave Eli since he was this injured. I glanced at the four of them. "You guys gonna be okay?" I asked, concerned

"Yeah," Leo said "We'll come back and let you know if we find anything" he added

I nodded and watched as the four of them jumped down the fire escape. I grabbed Eli's good arm and wrapped it around my neck. I carefully stood him up and sat him down on the couch. I made him some coffee and cleaned all the broken glass. Once I was done, I sat down in front of him. "Any idea who did this to you?" I asked

Eli swallowed the hot drink. "I know what you're thinking. It wasn't that guy I fought in the alley"

"Are you sure?" I asked seriously "Who else would do this to you?"

He shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know. I think they were after me though, because they didn't steal anything"

"You're not making me feel any better" I muttered

He put down his cup of coffee and pulled the comforter up to his elbow. I figured this stabbing was the last thing he wanted to think about, so I decided to change the subject. By the time 11:30 rolled around the turtles still hadn't returned and Eli had dozed off. I was getting a little drowsy myself. I turned off the lights and sat down on the opposite couch. I was about to close my eyes when I saw Raph crouched on the rail outside. I quietly stood up and walked outside to him. "Did you find anything?" I asked

He shook his head. "Nothin'. C'mon, let's go" he said

"Raph, I'm gonna stay here for the night" I told him

He glared at me. "Are you insane?" he demanded "What if this guy comes back?"

I put my hands on my hips. "That's why I'm staying, what if this guy comes back to finish the job?"

"He'll survive the night" Raph said shortly

I glared at him. "Did you not see his stab wound?" I demanded

"Jade, I don't trust him. An' I don't like the thought of ya stayin' here with him any bettah. C'mon" he said seriously

"Someone has to stay here, Raphael" I said crossing my arms

Raph groaned and hit his forehead. "Yer not makin' this any easier" he replied

"I'm a ninja, remember? I can take care of myself" I said. Raph didn't seem convinced. "Look, if you're worried about me then—"

"Don't flatter yerself. I ain't worried" he interrupted "I jus' don't trust that guy any more than I like 'im"

"Then trust me" I said. I sat on the rail next to him. "That's how we became friends in the first place right? Look, I don't know why you think Eli might be some sort of threat, but I don't think he'd hurt me"

"Jus' cuz yer the mother of his kid?" he pointed out

I shrugged. "Maybe" I said "I know it's a naïve thought, but I don't think he will. Besides, it's not like I'm moving in with him. I'm only staying with him until he can move around again"

Raph glanced inside Eli's apartment and grumbled something before looking back at me. "I'm takin' yer word for it" he replied before climbing up the fire escape ladder.

I sighed and headed back inside. That turtle…

**End of Chapter 30.**

**What do you guys think? Please review!**


End file.
